Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us, and so is being transparent about how we collect, use, and share information about you. This policy is intended to help you understand:

• What information we collect about you
• How we use information we collect 
• How we share information we collect 
• How we store and secure information we collect 
• How to access and control your information 
• Other important privacy information

This Privacy Policy covers the information we collect about you when you use our products or services, or otherwise interact with us (for example, by attending our events), unless a different policy is displayed.  A-dato, we and us refers to A-dato B.V. and any of our corporate affiliates.  We offer a wide range of products, including our cloud and in-house server products.  We refer to all of these products, together with our other services and websites as “Services” in this policy.    

This policy also explains your choices about how we use information about you.  Your choices include how you can object to certain uses of information about you and how you can access and update certain information about you.  If you do not agree with this policy, do not access or use our Services or interact with any other aspect of our business.  

Where we provide the Services under contract with an organization (for example your employer) that organization controls the information processed by the Services. For more information, please see Notice to End Users below. 

What information we collect about you

We collect information about you when you provide it to us, when you use our Services, and when other sources provide it to us, as further described below.  

Information you provide to us

We collect information about you when you input it into the Services or otherwise provide it directly to us.    

Account and Profile Information: We collect information about you when you register for an account, create or modify your profile, set preferences, sign-up for or make purchases through the Services. For example, you provide your contact information and when you register for the Services. You also have the option of adding a display name, job title, and other details to your profile information to be displayed in our Services.  We keep track of your preferences when you select configuration settings within the Services.

Content you provide through our products: The Services include the A-dato products you use, where we collect and store content that you post and share. This content includes any information about you that you may choose to include. Examples of content we collect and store include: the summary and description added to via “Notes”, comments you enter in connection with an incident and any feedback you provide to us.  Content also includes the files and links you upload to the Services, using the “Document Management” system.

If you use an inhouse-server version of the Services, we do not host, store, transmit, receive or collect information about you (including your content), except in limited cases, where permitted by your administrator: we collect incident feedback you provide directly to us through the product and; 

Server and data center administrators can disable our collection of this information from the Services prevent this information from being shared with us by blocking transmission at the local network level. 

Content you provide when you communicate with us: We collect content when you communicate with us in person, in writing, by telephone, via social media and via our websites.  

Information you provide through our support channels: The Services also include our customer support, where you may choose to submit information regarding a problem you are experiencing with a Service.  Whether you designate yourself as a technical contact, open a support ticket, speak to one of our representatives directly or otherwise engage with our support team, you will be asked to provide contact information, a summary of the problem you are experiencing, and any other documentation, screenshots or information that would be helpful in resolving the issue.

Information we collect automatically when you use the Services

We collect information about you when you use our Services, including browsing our websites and taking certain actions within the Services.          

Your use of the Services: We keep track of certain information about you when you use and interact with any of our Services. This information includes the features you use; the type, size and filenames of attachments you upload to the Services and updates that have been done for example in projects and tasks.  

Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies: We may use cookies and web beacons (information about website navigation) to gather information about your navigation on the websites of A-dato. Information about website navigation includes standard information from your web browser, such as the browser type and the browser language, your IP address (Internet Protocol) and the executed actions on the websites of A-dato, such as the pages viewed and the links that were clicked on.

This information is used to make websites function more efficiently, to provide business and marketing information to the owners of the site and to collect personal data, such as browser type and operating system, requested page, the user path followed through the site, domain of the ISP, etc., to gain a better understanding of the use of a website by visitors. Cookies and similar technologies help us to tailor the website to your personal needs, but also to detect and prevent security threats and abuse. If they are used independently, cookies and web beacons cannot personally identify you.

 Other users of the Services: Other users of our Services may provide information about you when they submit content through the Services.  For example, you may be mentioned in a “Note” opened by someone else.  We also receive your email address from other Service users when they provide it in order to invite you to the Services.  

Other services you link to your account: We receive information about you when you or your administrator integrate or link a third-party service with our Services.  You or your administrator may integrate our Services with other services you use, such as to allow you to access, store, share and edit certain content from a third-party through our Services.  For example, you may authorize our Services to access, display and store files from a third-party Ticket-processing service within the Services interface. 

The information we receive when you link or integrate our Services with a third-party service depends on the settings, permissions and privacy policy controlled by that third-party service. You should always check the privacy settings and notices in these third-party services to understand what data may be disclosed to us or shared with our Services.

A-dato Partners:  We work with a global network of partners who provide consulting, implementation, training and other services around our products.  Some of these partners also help us to market and promote our products, generate leads for us, and resell our products.  We receive information from these partners, such as billing information, billing and technical contact information, company name, what A-dato products you may be interested in, evaluation information you have provided, what events you have attended, and what country you are in. 

How we use the information we collect

How we use the information we collect depends in part on which Services you use, how you use them, and any preferences you have communicated to us.  Below are the specific purposes for which we use the information we collect about you.

To provide the Services and personalize your experience: We use information about you to provide the Services to you, including to process transactions with you, authenticate you when you log in, provide customer support, and operate and maintain the Services.  For example, we use the name you provide in your account to identify you to other Service users. Our Services also include tailored features that personalize your experience based on your role, enhance your productivity, and improve your ability to collaborate effectively with others.    

For research and development:  We are always looking for ways to make our Services smarter, faster, secure, integrated, and useful to you.  We use collective learnings about how people use our Services and feedback provided directly to us to troubleshoot and to identify trends, usage, activity patterns and areas for integration and improvement of the Services.    

To communicate with you about the Services: We use your contact information to send transactional communications via email and within the Services, including confirming your purchases, reminding you of subscription expirations, responding to your comments, questions and requests, providing customer support, and sending you technical notices, updates, security alerts, and administrative messages. 

To market, promote and drive engagement with the Services: We use your contact information and information about how you use the Services to send promotional communications that may be of specific interest to you, including by email and by displaying A-dato ads on other companies’ websites and applications, as well as on platforms like LinkedIn.  These communications are aimed at driving engagement and maximizing what you get out of the Services, including information about new features, survey requests, newsletters, and events we think may be of interest to you.  We also communicate with you about new product offers, promotions and contests.  You can control whether you receive these communications as described below under “Opt-out of communications.”

Customer support: We use your information to resolve technical issues you encounter, to respond to your requests for assistance, to analyze crash information, and to repair and improve the Services.

For safety and security: We use information about you and your Service use to verify accounts and activity, to monitor suspicious or fraudulent activity and to identify violations of Service policies. 

With your consent: We use information about you where you have given us consent to do so for a specific purpose not listed above.  For example, we may publish testimonials or featured customer stories to promote the Services, with your permission.    

Legal bases for processing (for EEA users): 

At A-dato we strive to protect and respect your privacy in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR of AVG) 2016/679, dated 27 April 2016. This privacy statement explains when and why we collect personal information, how we use this information, the conditions under which we may share this information with others and how we protect this information. This means we collect and use your information only where:

• We need it to provide you the Services, including to operate the Services, provide customer support and personalized features and to protect the safety and security of the Services;
• It satisfies a legitimate interest (which is not overridden by your data protection interests), such as for research and development, to market and promote the Services and to protect our legal rights and interests;
• You give us consent to do so for a specific purpose; or
• We need to process your data to comply with a legal obligation.

If you have consented to our use of information about you for a specific purpose, you have the right to change your mind at any time, but this will not affect any processing that has already taken place.  Where we are using your information because we or a third party (e.g. your employer) have a legitimate interest to do so, you have the right to object to that use though, in some cases, this may mean no longer using the Services. 

How we share information we collect

We make collaboration tools, and we want them to work well for you.  This means sharing information through the Services and with certain third parties.  We share information we collect about you in the ways discussed below, including in connection with possible business transfers, but we are not in the business of selling information about you to advertisers or other third parties.

Sharing with other Service users 

When you use the Services, we share certain information about you with other Service users.

For collaboration: You can create content, which may contain information about you, and grant permission to others to see, share, edit, copy and download that content.  Some of the collaboration features of the Services display some or all of your profile information to other Service users when you share or interact with specific content.  

Managed accounts and administrators: If you register or access the Services using an email address with a domain that is owned by your employer or organization, and such organization wishes to establish a Workspace, certain information about you including your name, contact info, content and past use of your account may become accessible to that organization’s administrator and other Service users sharing the same Workspace.  If you are an administrator for a particular Workspace or group of users within the Services, we may share your contact information with current or past Service users, for the purpose of facilitating Service-related requests.  

Service Providers: We work with third-party service providers to provide website and application development, hosting, maintenance, backup, storage, virtual infrastructure, payment processing, analysis and other services for us, which may require them to access or use information about you.  If a service provider needs to access information about you to perform services on our behalf, they do so under close instruction from us, including policies and procedures designed to protect your information.

A-dato Partners: We work with third parties who provide consulting, sales, and technical services to deliver and implement customer solutions around the Services. We may share your information with these third parties in connection with their services, to provide localized support, and to provide customizations.  We may also share information with these third parties where you have agreed to that sharing.

With your consent: We share information about you with third parties when you give us consent to do so.  For example, we often display personal testimonials of satisfied customers on our public websites. With your consent, we may post your name alongside the testimonial. 

Compliance with Enforcement Requests and Applicable Laws; Enforcement of Our Rights: In exceptional circumstances, we may share information about you with a third party if we believe that sharing is reasonably necessary to (a) comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, including to meet national security requirements, (b) enforce our agreements, policies and terms of service, (c) protect the security or integrity of our products and services, (d) protect A-dato, our customers or the public from harm or illegal activities, or (e) respond to an emergency which we believe in good faith requires us to disclose information to assist in preventing the death or serious bodily injury of any person.

Business Transfers: We may share or transfer information we collect under this privacy policy in connection with any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company. You will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on the Services if a transaction takes place, as well as any choices you may have regarding your information.

How we store and secure information we collect

Information storage and security

We use the Microsoft Azure platform as our data hosting service providers to host the information we collect, and we use technical measures to secure your data.  

While we implement safeguards designed to protect your information, no security system is impenetrable and due to the inherent nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee that data, during transmission through the Internet or while stored on our systems or otherwise in our care, is absolutely safe from intrusion by others.

If you use our Services with an inhouse server, responsibility for securing storage and access to the information you put into the Services rests with you and not A-dato. We strongly recommend that server or data center users configure SSL to prevent interception of data transmitted over networks and to restrict access to the databases and other storage points used.

How long we keep information

How long we keep information we collect about you depends on the type of information, as described in further detail below.  After such time, we will either delete or anonymize your information or, if this is not possible (for example, because the information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your information and isolate it from any further use until deletion is possible.  

Account information: We retain your account information for as long as your account is active and a reasonable period thereafter in case you decide to re-activate the Services.  We also retain some of your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes, to enforce our agreements, to support business operations, and to continue to develop and improve our Services. Where we retain information for Service improvement and development, we take steps to eliminate information that directly identifies you, and we only use the information to uncover collective insights about the use of our Services, not to specifically analyze personal characteristics about you.  

Information you share on the Services: If your account is deactivated or disabled, some of your information and the content you have provided will remain in order to allow your team members or other users to make full use of the Services.  For example, we continue to display messages you sent to the users that received them and continue to display content you provided. 

Managed accounts: If the Services are made available to you through an organization (e.g., your employer), we retain your information as long as required by the administrator of your account.  For more information, see “Managed accounts and administrators” above.

Marketing information: If you have elected to receive marketing emails from us, we retain information about your marketing preferences for a reasonable period of time from the date you last expressed interest in our Services, such as when you last opened an email from us or ceased using your A-dato account.  We retain information derived from cookies and other tracking technologies for a reasonable period of time from the date such information was created. 

How to access and control your information

You have certain choices available to you when it comes to your information. Below is a summary of those choices, how to exercise them and any limitations.

Your Choices: 

You have the right to request a copy of your information, to object to our use of your information (including for marketing purposes), to request the deletion or restriction of your information, or to request your information in a structured, electronic format.  Below, we describe the tools and processes for making these requests.  Where the Services are administered for you by an administrator (see “Notice to End Users” below), you may need to contact your administrator to assist with your requests first.  For all other requests, you may contact us as provided in the Contact Us section below to request assistance.

Your request and choices may be limited in certain cases: for example, if fulfilling your request would reveal information about another person, or if you ask to delete information which we or your administrator are permitted by law or have compelling legitimate interests to keep. 

If you have unresolved concerns, you may have the right to complain to a data protection authority in the country where you live, where you work or where you feel your rights were infringed.

Access and update your information: Our Services and related documentation give you the ability to access and update certain information about you from within the Service. For example, you can access your profile information from your account. You can update your profile information within your profile settings and modify content that contains information about you using the editing tools associated with that content.

Deactivate your account:  If you no longer wish to use our Services, you or your administrator may be able to deactivate your Services account. If you can deactivate your own account, that setting is available to you in your account settings. Otherwise, please contact your administrator. If you are an administrator and are unable to deactivate an account through your administrator settings, please contact A-dato support. Please be aware that deactivating your account does not delete your information; your information remains visible to other Service users based on your past participation within the Services.  For more information on deleting your information, see below.   

Request that we delete or stop using your information:   Where you gave us consent to use your information for a limited purpose, you can contact us to withdraw that consent, but this will not affect any processing that has already taken place at the time. You can also opt-out of our use of your information for marketing purposes by contacting us, as provided below. When you make such requests, we may need time to investigate and facilitate your request.  If there is delay or dispute as to whether we have the right to continue using your information, we will restrict any further use of your information until the request is honored or the dispute is resolved, provided your administrator does not object (where applicable).  

Opt out of communications: You may opt out of receiving promotional communications from us by using the unsubscribe link within each email, updating your email preferences within your Service account settings menu, or by contacting us as provided below to have your contact information removed from our promotional email list or registration database.  Even after you opt out from receiving promotional messages from us, you will continue to receive transactional messages from us regarding our Services.

Other important privacy information

Notice to End Users

Most of our products are intended for use by organizations. Where the Services are made available to you through an organization (e.g. your employer), that organization is the administrator of the Services and is responsible for the accounts and/or Service sites over which it has control. If this is the case, please direct your data privacy questions to your administrator, as your use of the Services is subject to that organization’s policies. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of an administrator’s organization, which may be different than this policy. 

Administrators are able to:

• require you to reset your account password;
• restrict, suspend or terminate your access to the Services;
• access information in and about your account;
• access or retain information stored as part of your account;
• install or uninstall third-party apps or other integrations 

In some cases, administrators can also:

• restrict, suspend or terminate your account access;
• change the email address associated with your account;
• change your information, including profile information;
• restrict your ability to edit, restrict, modify or delete information

Even if the Services are not currently administered to you by an organization, if you use an email address provided by an organization (such as your work email address) to access the Services, then the owner of the domain associated with your email address (e.g. your employer) may assert administrative control over your account and use of the Services at a later date. 

If you do not want an administrator to be able to assert control over your account or use of the Services, use your personal email address to register for or access the Services.  If an administrator has not already asserted control over your account or access to the Services, you can update the email address associated with your account through your account settings in your profile.  Once an administrator asserts control over your account or use of the Services, you will no longer be able to change the email address associated with your account without administrator approval.

Please contact your organization or refer to your administrator’s organizational policies for more information.