Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Softorage (“us”, “we”, or “our”) operates the website https://softorage.com, including its sub-domains and microsites (collectively, the “Service” or “website”).

Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have regarding your information. By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Terms not defined here have the same meaning as in our Terms and Conditions.

2. Information We Collect

We collect data to operate effectively and provide you with the best experiences on our website.

A. Information You Provide to Us Directly

When you interact with our website, you may choose to provide us with personal information (“Personal Data”). This typically occurs when you fill out forms (such as Investor Subscriptions, Internship Applications, Research Applications, Contact Us forms, or to download gated assets). The data we collect may include:

• Contact Details: First and last name, email address, postal address, country, employer, and phone number.
• Account Credentials: Passwords and similar security information used for authentication and account access.

B. Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our Service, we automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with our site (“Usage Data”). This includes:

• Device & Connection Data: Browser type and version, operating system, and unique device identifiers.
• Activity Data: The pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, and the time spent on those pages.
• Anonymized IP Addresses: To protect your privacy, we instruct our analytics providers to anonymize your Internet Protocol (IP) address.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Note: We utilize a hybrid approach to tracking based on our commitment to privacy and our use of third-party advertising.

First-Party Tracking: Softorage itself does not use tracking cookies to track you across other websites. We use local storage purely for essential functions: to operate our Service, remember your preferences, and maintain security.

Third-Party Advertising Cookies: We use third-party advertising companies, including Google (Google AdSense and DoubleClick), to serve ads on our site.

• These third-party vendors use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website or other websites on the Internet.
• This allows Google and its partners to serve personalized advertisements.
• Your Choices: You can opt out of Google’s personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of other third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting YourAdChoices.

Please read our Cookie Policy for more information.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your data for the following purposes:

• Service Provision: To provide, maintain, and notify you about changes to our Service.
• Customer Support: To respond to your inquiries and provide customer care.
• Security & Safety: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, and protect our website against attacks.
• Improvement & Analytics: To monitor usage metrics, analyze site health, and improve content (using anonymized data).
• Communications: To send you updates and personalized communications. If you opt-in, we may send promotional emails, which you can easily opt out of at any time.
• Account Management: Regardless of your location, you may update, edit, or request deletion of your account credentials and personal data at any time by contacting us.

5. Analytics and Infrastructure Partners

To deliver a fast, secure, and privacy-respecting experience, we utilize the following service providers:

• Website Hosting & CDN: We use GitLab Pages for hosting and Cloudflare for content delivery and security.
• Umami Analytics: We use Umami, a self-hosted, privacy-focused analytics tool. It does not use tracking cookies, does not collect personally identifiable information, and anonymizes IP addresses. All data remains entirely under our control.
• Ahrefs Web Analytics: We use Ahrefs to monitor website health and traffic. It does not use cookies by default or collect personal data, relying solely on anonymous, aggregated data.

6. How We Share Your Data

We do not sell your personal data. We only share your information in the following circumstances:

• Affiliates & Service Providers: We may share data with Softorage-controlled affiliates, subsidiaries, and trusted vendors who provide essential services (like hosting or security) on our behalf.
• Legal Compliance: We may disclose your data if required by law, valid legal processes, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of Softorage, our users, or the public.
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly request or authorize us to do so.

7. International Data Transfers

Softorage operates globally. Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside of your own—including India—where data protection laws may differ.

By using our Service and providing your data, you consent to this transfer. We take all reasonably necessary steps (such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent legal mechanisms) to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy, regardless of where it is processed.

8. Data Retention and Security

Retention: We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Security: We utilize a variety of security technologies to protect your data. However, please remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have specific rights regarding your personal data.

European Economic Area (EEA) and UK (GDPR Rights): We process your personal data under the following lawful bases: your consent, the performance of a contract, our legal obligations, and our legitimate business interests. If you are located in the EEA or UK, you have the right to:

• Access, update, or delete the information we have on you.
• Rectify (correct) any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Object to, or request restriction of, our processing of your personal data.
• Request a copy of your personal data in a machine-readable format (Data Portability).
• Withdraw consent at any time where we relied on your consent to process your data.
• Lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority.

To exercise any of these rights, or to manage your communication preferences, please visit our Contact Us page.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 18 (“Children”). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us so we can take steps to remove that information from our servers.

11. Links to Other Sites

Our Service may contain links to external sites not operated by us. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content or privacy practices of third-party sites.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date at the top.

13. How to Contact Us

If you have a privacy concern, complaint, or a question regarding this privacy statement, please direct it to the Chief Privacy Officer of Softorage via our Contact Us page.