Detailed Six-Month Audit Benefits Customers with Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Needs

DES MOINES, IA, December 21, 2009 – LightEdge Solutions, a leading provider of hosted communications, networking and data center services for small and medium-sized businesses, today announced that it has successfully completed an in-depth, six-month audit which validates the Controls Placed in Operation and Tests of Operating Effectiveness of the company’s data centers and hosting infrastructure.  The Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS-70) audit was performed by SAS70 Solutions, an independent Certified Public Accounting firm specializing in SAS-70 services.

Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS-70) is a widely recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).  A SAS-70 audit is performed through an independent licensed CPA firm, in many cases, a firm with specific experience and credentials in SAS-70 audits is used.  Two audit types are available: Type I and Type II.  A Type I audit or “Reports on Controls Placed in Operation” involves verification of the suitability of control design and whether or not the controls are actually in place.  The Type II audit is a more detailed and lengthy process as it adds a verification and effectiveness stage in which the proposed controls are tested and validated for effectiveness.

“As the host to more than 125 financial institutions, we feel that it is our obligation to provide the highest level security for our hosting infrastructure and data centers,” remarked Travis Thompson, vice president of engineering for LightEdge.  “The SAS-70 Type II audit report undertaken by LightEdge provides independent verification and documentation that will greatly benefit customers that are affected by Sarbanes-Oxley or other regulations.”

LightEdge data centers in Des Moines, Altoona and Minneapolis were verified by SAS-70 Solutions for the following controls:

• Physical Security – Control activities provide reasonable assurance that business premises and information systems are protected from unauthorized access, damage and interference.
• Environmental Security – Control activities provide reasonable assurance that critical information technology infrastructure is protected from certain environmental threats.
• Computer Operations – Control activities provide reasonable assurance of timely system backups of critical files, off-site backup, storage, and regular off-site rotation of backup files.
• Computer Maintenance – Control activities provide reasonable assurance that systems are maintained in a manner that helps ensure system availability.
• Logical Security – Control activities provide reasonable assurance that managed infrastructure is protected from unauthorized or unintentional use and modification.
• Customer Provisioning – Control activities provide reasonable assurance that new client environments are provisioned according to standardized methodologies and to mutually agreed upon criteria and contractual obligations.

LightEdge provides hosted unified communication solutions, secure data center facilities, resilient network connectivity and business continuity services for small and medium-sized businesses throughout the Midwest.  A SAS-70 Type II certification allows the company to continue expansion of data center services to vertical industries with strict regulatory compliance needs such as banking, finance and healthcare as the audit provides these customers the validation for security practices and controls required by their applicable regulations.

For more information on LightEdge’s data centers, the SAS-70 Type II audit or hosting services, please contact your Account Executive at 877-771-3343 or visit www.lightedge.com.

 About LightEdge Solutions
LightEdge Solutions is the only hosted services partner fully dedicated to providing the breadth of communications and IT services to small and medium-sized businesses looking for a better way to focus on their core business, not the technology that supports it.  For more information, visit www.lightedge.com.

LightEdge Solutions®, the LightEdge Solutions logo and Scale-on-Demand™ are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of LightEdge Solutions, Inc.

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