 - Compliance is either a state of being in accordance with established guidelines, specifications, or legislation or the process of becoming so. Software, for example, may be developed in compliance with specifications created by some standards body, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and may be distributed in compliance with the vendor's licensing agreement. In the legal system, compliance usually refers to behavior in accordance with legislation, such as the United States Can Spam Act of 2003, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002, or HIPAA (United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996).
Compliance in a regulatory context is a prevalent business concern, perhaps because of an ever-increasing number of regulations and a fairly widespread lack of understanding about what is required for a company to be in compliance with new legislation. In the financial sector, SOX was enacted in response to the high-profile Enron and WorldCom financial scandals to protect shareholders and the general public from accounting errors and fraudulent practices in the enterprise. In the healthcare sector, HIPAA Title II includes an administrative simplification section which mandates standardization of healthcare-related information systems.
As compliance has increasingly become a concern of corporate management, corporations are turning to specialized software, consultancies, and even a new job title, the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO).
To explore how compliance relates to the enterprise, here are some additional resources:
Governance, risk and compliance software (GRC) trends and best practices: This podcast with expert Michael Rasmussen provides insight into the GRC software market and GRC software best practices.
Sarbanes-Oxley four years later: Governance, risk and compliance now demands a comprehensive approach: GRC is now a priority for most organizations trying to meet Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) requirements more effectively, according to experts. Find out what role technology plays in these efforts.
 |
Learn more about Financial reporting and compliance data management |
| Business intelligence in financial services: Special report: In this report on business intelligence in financial services, learn about BI challenges in financial services and how banks are implementing and managing BI. |
| An overview of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance software: Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance, software and requirements can be confusing. Get an overview of SOX compliance technology and more, in this mini guide. |
| What are the best analytical tools for business intelligence for finance?: What are the best BI tools that can be implemented in financial markets for pattern analysis? |
| Business intelligence in financial services: Special report: In this report on business intelligence in financial services, learn about BI challenges in financial services and how banks are implementing and managing BI. |
| An overview of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance software: Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance, software and requirements can be confusing. Get an overview of SOX compliance technology and more, in this mini guide. |
| Sarbanes-Oxley compliance quiz: Are you SOX savvy?: Test your knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance concepts and software by taking a SOX quiz. |
| Regulatory compliance: This Search390.com Crash Course examines the four major IT regulations that companies face. Sarbanes Oxley and Gramm Leach Bliley sound like names of proper Southern gentlemen but they are in fact ... |
  |
Data management books: Read sample chapters from industry-renowned data management books. Browse free excerpts about BI, compliance and security, EDI, data warehousing, data quality and data governance. |
| LAST UPDATED: |
05 Mar 2009
|
 |
Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.
Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com
|
|
More resources from around the web:
|
 |
 |
| |
RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS
| Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary |
 |
consumer privacy
(SearchDataManagement.com)
Consumer privacy, also known as customer privacy, involves the handling and protection of sensitive personal information that individuals provide in...
|
|
Patriot Act
(SearchDataManagement.com)
The Patriot Act was enacted by the U.S. Congress on October 26, 2001, at the request of President George Bush in response to the terrorist acts of...
|
|
|
Show me everything on 