General information
TekLinks respects the privacy of our customers, business partners, employees and job applicants, and other visitors to our websites who may choose to provide personal information. We recognize the need for appropriate protections and management of personal information that you provide to us. This Privacy Statement will assist you to understand what types of information we may collect, how that information may be used, and with whom the information may be shared.
Scope
This Privacy Statement applies to TekLinks Incorporated (including its divisions and wholly-owned subsidiaries) worldwide.
Information we may process about clients of our customers is dealt with separately. For details of this please see the section entitled "Personal information of our customer's clients" below.
What personal information does TekLinks process?
Personal Information for purposes of this Privacy Statement is information that identifies or can identify a specific individual. TekLinks may collect information about individuals such as their name, address, telephone number or email address. TekLinks may collect certain personal information from customers, business partners, employees and candidates for employment. TekLinks does not collect personal information when you visit TekLinks' web sites unless you choose to provide it to TekLinks.
Customers and Business Partners: On TekLinks web sites you can order products or services, register products, request information, subscribe to marketing or support materials, register to a secure extranet site to obtain access to product information, support, services and training. TekLinks will collect personal information from you for these purposes. The types of information you provide to TekLinks on these pages may include name, address, phone number, e-mail address, user IDs and passwords, billing and transaction information, credit card or other financial information, and contact preferences.
Employees and Applicants: TekLinks also collects personal information from its employees and applicants (human resources data) in connection with its recruiting and hiring activities and administration of its human resources programs and functions.
How does TekLinks use customer and business partner personal information?
TekLinks will use personal information to provide customers and business partners with information and services and to help us better understand your needs and interests. Specifically, we use your information to help you complete a transaction or order, to communicate with you, to deliver products/services to you, to bill you for products/services you purchased, and to provide ongoing service and support. Occasionally we may use your information to contact you to complete surveys that we use for marketing and quality assurance purposes. Personal information collected online may be combined with information you provide to TekLinks through other sources such as trade shows or seminars. We may also use it to contact you by electronic or other means such as telephone or mail, to tell you about products and services of TekLinks or its subsidiaries and divisions, or, if we think this may interest you, of other parties.
TekLinks may share the personal information that you have submitted to TekLinks with third parties in responding to your requests for products or services or product evaluations. Also, we may on occasion share information to allow selected partners to send you special offers in blind mailings. However, if you request information on any of our products/services, TekLinks may provide your information to third party distributors and resellers who may subsequently contact you directly regarding such products/services. In these instances, you will not have the opportunity to opt out of having your information shared with these third party distributors and resellers, as the transfer of data is necessary to provide the products or services you requested.
Should we undergo any sort of corporate reorganization in the future, we may need to provide your information to the resulting entity. We may also provide it to law enforcement agencies if they request it or if we feel this is necessary to protect our business, employers, suppliers or customers. We will only do this once we are satisfied it is appropriate to do so.
How does TekLinks use employee, contractor and job applicant personal information?
TekLinks uses personal information of its employees, contractors and job applicants for a variety of human resources and similar functions, including job applications and hiring programs, compensation and benefit programs, performance appraisals, training, business travel, expense and tuition reimbursement, identification cards, access to TekLinks facilities and computer networks, employee profiles, internal employee directories, human resources recordkeeping, compliance with legal requirements and other employment related purposes.
Unless permitted by relevant laws, or you have agreed to this, TekLinks does not use your personal information for a purpose other than as provided in this Privacy Statement or for the stated purpose identified at the time such information is collected, received or stored. Where appropriate under applicable laws, you will be given a more detailed explanation of these data uses at the relevant time.
Social security numbers are only used when necessary for legitimate business reasons. Truncated social security numbers or other identifiers such as employee ID numbers are used when practicable.
Personal information given to TekLinks may be transferred within TekLinks or to its appointed business partners or service providers across state and country borders for efficient data consolidation, storage and simplified information management in accordance with applicable law. We will place appropriate restrictions on the recipients and require them to adequately protect the information according to relevant laws.
With whom does TekLinks share personal information?
TekLinks contracts with third party service providers and suppliers to deliver complete products, services and customer solutions. TekLinks may share personal information with its service providers and suppliers for the sole purpose and only to the extent needed to support the customers' business needs. Service providers and suppliers are required to keep confidential and secure the personal information received from TekLinks and may not use it for any purpose other than as originally intended.
Human resources data may be shared with third party vendors for the exclusive purpose of enabling the vendor to provide service or support to TekLinks in connection with these human resources programs and functions. Personal data concerning TekLinks employees is not shared with third parties for non-employment related purposes, unless disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to comply with any applicable law, legal process, or enforceable governmental inquiry.
Third party vendors, service providers and suppliers receiving personal information are expected to apply the same level of privacy protection as contained in this Privacy Statement. However, unless otherwise dictated by law or agreement, TekLinks is not responsible for any improper use by such parties.
Unless permitted by relevant laws, or you have agreed to this, TekLinks will not share personal information you provided to TekLinks with any other third parties without your permission, or sell, trade or lease your personal information to others, except as provided in this Privacy Statement.
Choice and Consent
TekLinks does not require that customers, business partners or non-employee visitors to TekLinks websites provide TekLinks with personal information. The decision to provide personal information is voluntary. If you do not wish to provide the personal information requested, however, you may not be able to proceed with the activity or receive the benefit for which the personal information is being requested. To exercise any opt out rights under applicable laws, please notify TekLinks of your desire to do so at marketing@TekLinks.com or TekLinks, 201 Summit Parkway Birmingham, AL 35209. It may take a reasonable period of time to process your request.
TekLinks employees and applicants for employment are required to provide TekLinks with personal information as a condition of employment, or applying for employment, with TekLinks. This information is used by TekLinks and may be shared with third party vendors in connection with TekLinks' administration of its human resources programs and functions consistent with the terms of this Privacy Statement and applicable law.
Sensitive Information
Sensitive information is defined for purposes of this Privacy Statement as personal information specifying medical or health conditions, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, or information specifying the sexual orientation of the individual.
Except as provided below, TekLinks does not request or receive sensitive information from visitors to our web sites. TekLinks may receive sensitive information such as medical or health conditions, or race and ethnic data regarding its employees or their dependents in connection with the administration of its health and welfare benefit plans, or as part of government mandated recordkeeping requirements where required by law. Such information will not be shared with third parties except as permitted by applicable law or as required in connection with the administration of human resources programs. In addition, sensitive information that has not been made public by an affected employee will not be used for a purpose other than its original purpose without the employee's approval unless allowed under applicable law. Where appropriate under applicable laws, you will be given a more detailed explanation of sensitive information uses at the relevant time.
Access to and accuracy of personal information
TekLinks strives to keep your personal information accurate. We have implemented technology, management processes and policies to maintain data integrity. TekLinks will take reasonable steps to ensure that the data is complete, accurate and reliable for its intended use. We will provide you with access to your information when reasonable, or in accordance with relevant laws, including making reasonable effort to provide you with online access and the opportunity to change your information. To protect your privacy and security, we will also take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making changes to your data. Requests to delete personal data are subject to any applicable legal and ethical reporting or document retention obligations. A request to access, delete or correct your personal information may be made to at marketing@TekLinks.com or TekLinks, 201 Summit Parkway Birmingham, AL 35209.
Security of Personal Information
TekLinks is committed to taking reasonable efforts to secure the personal data you choose to provide us. To protect the privacy of any personal information you may have provided, TekLinks employs industry-standard physical and logical access controls that change in response to the changing regulatory and threat environments including Internet firewalls, intrusion detection, anti-virus protection, and network monitoring, and, where appropriate, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or similarly encrypted browsers. In addition, access to sensitive information as defined in this Privacy Statement is limited to those individuals and agents having a need to know.
TekLinks protects the confidentiality and security of social security numbers. TekLinks prohibits the disclosure of social security numbers for any unlawful purpose. TekLinks takes measures to limit access to information and documents that contain social security numbers.
Other Information/Logging and Cookies
TekLinks collects and/or logs Internet Protocol addresses, Internet domain names, the web browser and operating system used to access the TekLinks web site, the files visited, the time spent in each file, and the time and date of each visit.
TekLinks may also use cookies on its web site. Cookies are identifiers that can be sent from a web site via your browser to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Thereafter when you visit a web site, a message is sent back to the web server by the browser accessing the web site. You may elect not to accept cookies by changing the designated settings on your web browser. However, not utilizing cookies may prevent you from using certain functions and features of web sites. The information collected from the use of cookies is used and analyzed to improve TekLinks' web sites, such as by gaining a better understanding of your interests and requirements regarding our website.
You can set your browser to notify you when you are sent a cookie, giving you the chance to decide whether or not to accept it. The information we collect and analyze is used to improve our service to you and personalize your web-browsing experience.
Websites of TekLinks may use tracking tools for internal business purposes only. These websites may not offer opt-out functionality.
Links to Non-TekLinks Web Sites and Third Parties
The TekLinks web sites may provide links to third-party web sites for your convenience and information. If you access those links, you will leave the TekLinks web site. TekLinks does not control those sites or their privacy practices, which may differ from TekLinks'. We do not endorse or make any representations about third party web sites. The personal data you choose to give to unrelated third parties is not covered by the TekLinks Privacy Statement. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any company before submitting your personal information.
Verification
TekLinks will engage in periodic self-assessment of its compliance with this Privacy Statement.
Personal information of our customers' clients
When we provide services to our customers, in some instances we process personal information about their clients ("Client Information") on their behalf. In these situations it is our customers rather than we who decide the reasons for which the Client Information will be processed. For details of how the Client Information will be used and protected, and details of how to access or correct the information, please refer to the privacy policy of the TekLinks customer to whom you submitted your personal information. Relevant laws may oblige customers to require that we comply with the same security rules that they are subject to under such laws.
Changes to this Statement
TekLinks will review and update this Statement periodically, and will note the date of its most recent revision below.
Revised: August 2009