Data Privacy Statement

The protection of your privacy and your personal data are of the utmost importance to us. For this reason, we not only ensure that we comply with data protection and data security legislation, but also pay close attention to security when handling your data. We have implemented far-reaching security provisions and measures in order to protect the personal data that we store against unauthorized access, misuse, destruction and loss.

To ensure that you are fully informed as to how we collect and use personal data on this website, please take note of the following information:

Controller

Controller of this website is Vector Informatik GmbH.

Contact Details:

Vector Informatik GmbH
Ingersheimer Straße 24
70499 Stuttgart
Germany

Phone: +49 711-80670-0
Fax: +49 711-80670-111
E-mail: info@vector.com

Our data protection officer’s contact details are the following:

Gerd Kempf
Ingersheimer Straße 24
70499 Stuttgart
Germany

E-mail: dataprotection@vector.com

Principles

‘Personal data’ are any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person; these are normally names, postal addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, IP addresses, order details, advertising and contract details, and information about the use of media we offer, e.g. access time on our website or our newsletters and other comparable categories of data.

We only process and use your personal data where there is a legal ground for this or where you, as the data subject, have given us your consent.

The following points are covered in the information provided below:

Which personal data do we collect and process?
Why do we process your data and what is the legal basis for doing so?
How long will we store your data and to whom might we transfer them?
What are your data protection rights?
Who can you contact if you have any questions?

Automated Data (server log files)

Whenever you use the internet, your browser automatically transfers certain information, which we collect and store in server log files (hereinafter also referred to as “log files”). The information stored in the server log files includes, but is not limited to:

Your IP address
Your browser version and type
Your operating system
Your referrer URL
The hostname of your accessing computer
Your time of query on our server

Such data is not combined with data from other sources.

The basis of data processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, which permits data to be processed for the purposes of performance of a contract or to take steps prior to entering into a contract.

The system needs to store your IP address temporarily to be able to display the website on your computer. For this to happen, your IP address must be stored for the duration of the session.

The data stored in the log files are used to ensure the functionality of the website. In addition, the data help us to optimize our website and to maintain the security of our IT systems.

We delete personal data as soon as they are no longer needed for the purposes for which they were collected.

Data that is stored in log files will be deleted within 30 days or less. It is possible that data will be stored and combined with other data for analysis and optimization purposes, and to improve the offer of information on our website. In this case, the user’s IP address will be deleted or altered so that it can no longer relate to the accessing client.

The collection of data for provisioning the website and storing of data in log files is carried out for the purposes of error analysis. It is absolutely necessary for the operation and the ongoing enhancement of our website. As a result, you, as the user, have no means of objecting to this.

General Collection of Data

Our website continues to collect and store data in an anonymous form for marketing and optimization purposes. This visitor data is saved under a pseudonymous user ID and can be used to generate a usage profile. Cookies may be used for this. These are, however, collected and stored only in pseudonymized form. The data collected are not used to personally identify website visitors and are not combined with the personal data of the person to whom the pseudonym refers. You will find more information on the use of cookies in the section below “Use of cookies”.

Some of the data are collected to ensure that the website functions properly. Other data are collected for the purposes of analyzing user behaviour.

In addition, personal data are only collected, processed or used if you disclose them to us voluntarily while visiting our website, for example, during a download or while placing an order, while booking a training course, when requesting information or offers from us, when reporting defective software or hardware, when providing us with feedback, subscribing to our newsletter or when applying for a job online.

The legal basis for this processing and for sending you our newsletter is that we have received your consent as user (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You will find more information on subscribing to our newsletter in the section “Newsletter”.

If you order goods or services from us, we will only collect and use your personal data insofar as this is necessary for the establishment, implementation or termination of the contract. The legal basis of this kind of data processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, which permits data to be processed for the performance of a contract or to take steps prior to entering into a contract. No further collection or processing can take place without your express consent. The customer information collected will be deleted after the order has been completed or when the business relationship ends. Legal record keeping requirements remain unaffected.

Furthermore, your personal data will only be processed if you, as user, have so consented (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).

Transfer of Personal Data

Your personal data will only be transferred to a third party insofar as this is necessary for the establishment, implementation or termination of a contract with you or for the delivery of goods or services. This applies particularly to the transfer of your data to a shipping company, credit institution or other service company used for performing a contract. Third parties of the kind described may also be other companies within the Vector Group.

The legal basis of data processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, which permits data to be processed for the purposes of performance of a contract or in order to take steps prior to entering into a contract, a legitimate interest on our part in the transfer of personal data, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR or your explicit consent.

Personal data may be transferred to recipients located outside the EEA in third countries only insofar as there is an appropriate level of data protection at the recipient’s location or where you have given your consent to the transfer. If you would like a summary of the recipients in third countries and information about the rules in place to ensure that there is an appropriate level of data protection, please use the information provided in the section headed “Contact”.

Use of Cookies

We use cookies to make our website more user-friendly and effective. Cookies are small text files, which are placed on your computer and then stored by your browser. The cookies used by us are session cookies or permanent cookies. While session cookies will be automatically deleted from your hard drive at the end of your browser session, permanent cookies will remain on your computer after a session and enable us to recognize you the next time that you visit our website.

You may in principle change your browser settings to prevent cookies from being stored on your computer. However, you will need to allow cookies if you wish to book one of our training courses online.

Cookies, which are required for electronic communications or to make certain functions which you wish to use available, are stored either based on our legitimate interest in providing you with error-free, optimized services (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR), or on the basis of your explicit consent.

Insofar as we use other cookies (e.g. cookies to analyze your surfing behaviour), these will be dealt with separately in this Data Privacy Statement below. In particular, the content and services of other providers may be integrated into our website and these may in turn use cookies or active components.

Use of Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; “Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to enable analysis of how you use the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. If you activate the IP anonymization feature on the website, Google will however shorten your IP address in the Member States of the European Union and other States that are contracting parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before transmitting it to the United States. Your full IP address will only be transmitted to a server belonging to Google in the United States in exceptional cases and then shortened there.

On our behalf, Google will use this information for evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf.

Google will not, under any circumstances, associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. However, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. Furthermore, you can prevent information generated by cookies about your use of the website (including your IP address) being sent to and processed by Google by downloading and installing the following browser plugin. The current link is https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

Please note that this website uses Google Analytics with the extension “_anonymizeIp()” and therefore IP addresses are processed only in a shortened form to prevent them being directly linked to a particular individual.

Further information concerning Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy can be found at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/ or at https://policies.google.com/?hl=en.

By using this website, you consent to the collection, processing and use of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

ReCaptcha

This website uses reCAPTCHA v3 on some pages to determine whether a human or a computer is entering a certain input on web forms. reCAPTCHA v3 is a service of Google. Every time you visit a page of this website that uses reCAPTCHA v3, a direct connection is established between your browser and a Google server in the United States. The information that you have visited this site with your IP address is transmitted directly from your browser to the Google server and stored there. Google uses the following data to determine whether you are a human being or a computer:

IP address of the terminal device used
Address of the website you are visiting and where the captcha is embedded
Date and duration of the visit
Identification data of the browser and operating system type used
Google Account, if you are logged in at Google
Mouse movements on the reCAPTCHA surfaces and tasks where you have to identify images

The legal basis for the described data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 letter f of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Vector has a legitimate interest in this data processing to ensure the security of the Vector website and to protect it from automated inputs (attacks). The service is subject to the different privacy policies of Google Inc. For further information on the privacy policies of Google Inc. please visit https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en or https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en. By using this website, you agree to the collection, processing and use of the data collected about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes described above.

Use of Google Maps

This website uses Google Maps on some of its pages to show interactive maps and provide directions (Google Maps is a map service of Google).

Each time you visit a page on this website that uses Google Maps, a direct connection is established between your browser and a Google server in the United States. The information that you have visited this page using your IP address will be sent directly to Google’s server by your browser and stored there.

When you use Google Maps, information about your use of this website, including your IP address and the (start) address that you entered in the route planner, will be transmitted to Google in the United States.

If you do not want Google to collect, process or use data about you when you use Google Maps through this website, you can deactivate JavaScript in your browser settings. However, you will not be able to use the map display function if you do so.

You will find Google’s privacy policy, which provides further details about how it collects and uses your data, about your rights in this respect and about how to manage your privacy settings options at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

By using this website, you consent to the collection, processing and use of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

Use of Google Remarketing

This website uses Google’s remarketing function. Remarketing is a feature that enables us to show you as a visitor to our website targeted ads when you later visit other sites in Google’s advertising network. Your browser stores cookies when you visit websites belonging to Google’s advertising network. Ads can then be displayed to you on these websites with content from sites which you have already visited if these sites use the Google remarketing function. According to Google itself, it does not collect any personal data during this process. If you do not wish to be tracked using Google’s remarketing function, you can opt out of it by adjusting your settings accordingly: http://www.google.com/settings/ads. Alternatively, you can deactivate the use of cookies for targeted advertising by following the instructions provided by the Network Advertising Initiative at http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.

Use of YouTube Plugins (Videos)

We integrate videos into this website by using YouTube plugins from the internet video portal YouTube of youtube.com, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA (hereinafter referred to as “YouTube”), which is represented by Google.

Each time you visit a page on this website offering one or more YouTube video clips, a direct connection is established between your browser and a YouTube server in the United States. The information that you have visited this page using your IP address will be sent directly to the Google server by your browser and stored there. As a result of your interaction with YouTube plugins (such as starting the video), information generated by the interaction is transmitted to YouTube and stored there.

If you have a YouTube account and do not want YouTube to collect data about you via our website and to link it to the member data which it stores about you, you will need to log off from YouTube before visiting our website.

You will find YouTube’s Privacy Policy, which provides further details about how it collects and uses your data, about your rights in this respect and about how to manage your privacy settings options at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

Contact, Feedback and Order Forms

By clicking on the “Send” button on the contact, feedback and order forms and the transfer of your information, you give your consent to our processing and storing of the information which is in the contact form, and in particular of your personal data, for the purposes for which you wish to have it transferred. We will erase such data as soon as it is no longer needed for its intended purpose.

The data will only be sent to the addressee specified on the respective contact form.

The data you supply on the contact, feedback and order forms is thus only processed on the basis of the consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) given to us when you send the form. You may, at any time, revoke your consent with future effect. All that you need to do is send us an e-mail with an informal notice revoking your consent (VGDataprotection@vector.com). This revocation has no effect on the legality of data processing activities carried out prior to the revocation.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service Privacy Policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Embedded Content From Other Websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Data Protection Rights

You are entitled as a data subject to the data protection rights described below.

If you wish to assert these rights, please use the information provided in the section “Contact”. Please ensure that you can be clearly identified.

Right to Access, Rectification or Erasure

You are entitled by law to access, at any time, personal data stored about you, its source, recipients and the purpose for which it is stored (Art. 15 GDPR). In addition, you have the right to demand that your data be rectified (Art. 16 GDPR) or erased (Art. 17 GDPR).

Right to Restrict Processing

Where the statutory requirements are met, you may demand that processing be restricted (Art. 18 GDPR).

Right to Data Portability

Furthermore, where the requirements specified in Art. 20 GDPR are met, you have the right to receive the data which you provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

Right to Object to Processing of Data in an Individual Case

You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time, to the processing of personal data concerning you if the processing is not based on a legitimate interest or a weighing of interests on our part (Art. 21 GDPR). We will cease processing your data unless we are able to demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for continuing to do so.

Right to Object to Processing of Data for Direct Advertising Purposes

In addition, you may, at any time, object to the processing of your personal data for advertising purposes (Art. 21 GDPR). Where you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, we will no longer process your personal data for such purposes.

Insofar as the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you may, at any time, revoke your consent to such processing with future effect. We will delete your data unless there is a statutory storage and retention period. In such case, your data will be blocked unless a legal basis for processing exists.

Right to Lodge a Complaint with the Competent Authority

If you believe that your data is being processed in breach of the GDPR, you may lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR). In addition, you may contact the supervisory authority which is competent for your place of residence / state in which you reside or which is competent for us. The latter is:

Der Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit des Bundeslandes Baden-Württemberg, https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.datenschutz.de.

Contact

If you would like to contact us, please use the information provided in the section “Controller”.

If you wish to exercise your data protection rights, lodge a complaint or if you have any questions about this Data Privacy Statement or on how we handle personal data, please write to us or, preferably, send us an e-mail to: VGDataprotection@vector.com

Links to Third-Party Websites

It is possible that Vector’s websites contain links to third-party websites. If you follow the links, you will leave Vector’s websites and the scope of application of this Data Privacy Statement. Vector cannot accept any responsibility for the data protection methods or content of such websites.

General Notice

We reserve the right to amend this Data Privacy Statement in the future. Accordingly, you should check the Data Privacy Statement regularly when visiting our website.