SAS 70

Esker is Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70 certified for its on-demand automation solutions. This certification validates the quality and integrity of Esker's internal control process and procedures for its on-demand customers.

In a market context of increased externalisation, service organisations or service providers are required to demonstrate that they have adequate controls and safeguards when they host or process data belonging to their customers. Created by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) (http://www.aicpa.org/Pages/Default.aspx), the SAS 70 standard was developed specifically to address this concern.

Based on an independent audit, SAS 70 certification (http://sas70.com/) allows service organisations to guarantee process integrity for their customers. SAS 70 addresses the rules of internal control outlined in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act legislation and is primarily used by companies whose jobs impact their customers' finances (payroll management, data centres, third-party administrators, logistics, fundraising, etc.).

Companies rely on Esker to host and process their business documents and financial data. In order to guarantee information security and accuracy, Esker engaged in a SAS 70 certified audit initiative.

Following an audit conducted by Ernst & Young, Esker was granted SAS 70 certification based on seven control objectives:

• organisation and administration,
• physical security and environmental safeguards,
• logical security,
• application development and change management,
• incident management,
• data management, and
• monitoring and reporting.

25 internal controls were conducted to support these control objectives, such as:

• data centre security,
• infrastructure monitoring,
• logistics access,
• reliable computer operations (backup, reporting, storage and system availability), and
• recruitment.

This certification supports Esker's on-demand development strategy of helping customers automate and externalise their business workflow. The SAS 70 standard delivers transparency to customers and gives Esker a true competitive advantage, specifically in Europe where Esker is one of the few vendors to be certified.