May 15, 2013 — EarthLink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK), an IT services and communications provider, today announced that it successfully completed the SSAE16 SOC 2 certification for its TechCare outsourced help desk service. EarthLink TechCare is a fully managed, customizable, scalable end user help desk solution that enables businesses to relieve their overburdened IT staff, refocus on more strategic initiatives and reduce the cost of providing an in-house help desk.

“We are pleased that EarthLink now offers one of the nation’s only SSAE 16 compliant outsourced end user help desk solutions,” said Michael D. Toplisek, EarthLink Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “For businesses with complex compliance and security needs like those in the retail, healthcare and financial sectors, this independent validation of TechCare reassures them that their employees will experience a consistent, high-quality service.”

The SSAE 16 audit and certification process validates EarthLink’s technology, business and physical security processes and ensures they meet or exceed standards established by the nationally recognized Auditing Standards Board (ASB) of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The report includes a detailed description, management assertion and independent review of systems, processes and procedures supporting TechCare. EarthLink hosts its IT services in its geographically-diverse SSAE 16 compliant data centers located throughout the country and linked to EarthLink’s nationwide IP network.

With EarthLink TechCare, experts build a customized offering fully integrated into the customer’s IT environment. North America-based, certified professionals resolve end-user technology challenges by rapidly answering live calls, and provide a knowledgeable and courteous experience. EarthLink TechCare is a feature-rich service that enables clients to select from a menu of options or add support elements as needed including support of any end-user device, VIP support levels, online reporting tools, trouble ticketing system, 24/7 or 9/5 options, client satisfaction reports and ITIL best practices. With TechCare, EarthLink documents the business IT environment (networks, devices, printers, partners, applications, peripherals, VIPs), helps define escalation thresholds and processes for third party vendors, and ensures a seamless handoff for end-users.