ATLANTA, Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) a leading IT and communications provider, today announced that the company has successfully completed SSAE 16 Type 2 recertifications for its data centers in Marlborough, MA and Rochester, NY. SSAE 16 provides EarthLink's data center customers with assurance of corporate controls and validation of EarthLink's commitment to the most stringent standards of operational excellence.

The SSAE 16 audit and certification determines that a company's technology, business processes, physical security and infrastructure meet or surpass SSAE 16 standards. The standards are established by the nationally recognized Auditing Standards Board (ASB) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

As part of EarthLink's focus on IT and data services, it established controls to support first-class data center management services. The SSAE 16 certification provides validation of EarthLink's operational excellence and security controls. The report includes a description of EarthLink's systems and the design and operating effectiveness of the controls. As a type 2 certification, the report also contains a written assertion from EarthLink management regarding its systems and an independent auditor's opinion letter.

"We are proud to have our Marlborough and Rochester data centers recertified as SSAE 16 compliant facilities," said Mike Toplisek, Executive Vice President, Products and Marketing at EarthLink. "These data centers house vital data and infrastructure for thousands of customers, many of which adhere to extremely rigorous compliance standards. Providing validation and confirmation of our operational excellence and security controls gives customers the confidence that EarthLink will protect and optimize their intellectual property."

About EarthLink

EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK) is a leading IT services and communications provider to more than 150,000 businesses and one million consumers nationwide. EarthLink empowers customers with managed services including cloud computing, managed and private cloud, and virtualization services such as managed hosting and cloud workspace. EarthLink also offers a robust portfolio of IT security, application hosting, colocation and IT support services. The company operates an extensive network spanning 28,800 route fiber miles with 90 metro fiber rings and 4 secure data centers providing ubiquitous nationwide data and voice IP service coverage across more than 90 percent of the country. Founded in 1994, EarthLink's award-winning reputation for outstanding service and product innovation is supported by an experienced team of professionals focused on best-in-class customer care.  For more information, visit EarthLink's website at www.earthlink.net.

SOURCE EarthLink, Inc.