(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Web hosting and virtualized data center services provider SoftLayer (www.softlayer.com) has successfully completed a Statement on Auditing Standards Number 70 Type II audit and evaluation of all its processes and systems, reassuring customers of the company's high standards and practices.
Plano, Texas-based SoftLayer announced the results of its review last week, which was conducted by an independent auditing agency and included rigorous testing over a six-month period of all SoftLayer's data center facilities located in Dallas, Seattle, and Washington DC.
SoftLayer's proprietary management tools and "Network-Within-a-Network topology" were put through their paces, proving that the company's unique system delivers the power and control needed to securely manage its scalable IT environments.
The SAS 70 Type II is part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which defines the standards used by a service auditor to assess the reliability of a company's internal controls and its handling of critical business data. Originally intended for the financial services industry, SAS 70 certification is now known as a prerequisite for maintaining critical data for businesses. A Type II report is more exhaustive, involving detailed testing of the organization's controls over a minimum time period of six months.
"We are very excited to have completed this process," SoftLayer customer service manager Steve Kinman said in a statement. "It gives us an objective standard for assuring all of our customers, of all sizes, that we provide reliable, tested, and secure hosting services based upon industry-recognized standards."
Requiring annual renewal, SAS 70 is a perennial compliance process for most data centers that handle financial data. Both managed service provider DataPoint (www.datapoint.com) and INetU Managed Hosting (www.inetu.net) were granted SAS 70 Type II Certification earlier in the month.
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