Some of these regulations call for proof that systems are securely managed, which may require confirmation from an independent audit. Large providers are unlikely to allow another company’s auditors to inspect their data centers. Microsoft found a way to deal with this problem that may be helpful. The company reduced 26 different types of audits to a list of 200 necessary controls for meeting compliancestandards that were applied to its data center environments and services. Microsoft does not give every customer or auditor access to its data centers, but its compliance framework allows auditors to order from a menu of tests and receive the results.