Privacy Statement

Duty to inform according to Art. 12 ff. EU-DSGVO
Name and address of the person responsible

Your contact person as the person responsible within the meaning of the European Data Protection Basic Regulation ("EU-DSGVO") and other national data protection laws of the member states as well as other provisions of data protection law:

ICS International GmbH 
Identcode-Systeme
Donaustr. 1
65451 Kelsterbach
Germany 

Mail: info@ics-group.eu

ICS International GmbH Identcode-Systeme (hereafter: ICS or editor) is a member of the ICS Group. The ICS Group offers consulting, software, technology, and services for the digitization of corporate processes. 

Our products, solutions, and services offer a high degree of customer value. This is based on trustful business relations with customers, suppliers, and partners and the trustful dealing with interested companies, employees, and other groups of stakeholders. 

Performing our work and rendering our services sometimes requires the collection, processing, and use of personal data. ICS takes the protection of personal data very seriously and strictly ad¬heres to legal standards – like at present the General Data Protection Regulation GDPR 2016/679 (hereinafter referred to by the German abbreviation DSGVO) and the Data Protection Adaptation and Application Act that is additionally valid in Germany (DSAnpUG), and its integral part, the new German Data Protection Act (BDSG-NEU).

ICS will collect, process, and use personal data only as far as strictly necessary. 

The following statement will tell you how we do guarantee data protection and which type of data are collected for which purpose.

1) Collection and Processing of Personal Data

1.1) General information
We will collect and process data on you in the following circumstances:

• If you contact us directly, e.g. via our website, through our customer service/telephone hot­line, and if you are interested in our products and services or if you have any other request.
• If you register as a participant/visitor at ICS events and trade fair appearances, and/or voluntarily provide us with your contact details at such events.
• If you directly buy or ask for our products and services.
• If you respond to our direct marketing activities, e.g. by returning a response card from one of our mailing campaigns.
• If associated companies (acc. to § 15 AktG - German Stock Corporation Law. Hereinafter referred to by the German abbreviation §15 AktG) and individual business partners permissibly pro­vide us with your data.
• If you provide us with data (online/offline) in the course of recruitment and application processes. 

We shall not pass on your data to any third party without your consent, except

• where we are obliged to provide details in connection with legal provisions
• where the passing on of data is legally permitted and necessary, e.g. in connection with the prevention of fraud
• if associated companies (acc. to § 15 AktG) have to be involved in order to process your request.

1.2) Processing within the customer database
We store and use contact data and information (such as business communication history) received from customers and interested parties for the purpose of processing or initiating the business relationship. The processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a of the German Data Protection Act. Personal data is collected and stored exclusively in accordance with the provisions of the basic data protection regulation DSGVO 2016/679 and the Federal Data Protection Act additionally applicable in Germany in its new version (BDSG-NEU).

As a customer database we and our affiliated companies (acc. to § 15 AktG) use Zoho CRM. The provider is Zoho Corporation B.V., Beneluxlaan 4B, 3527 HT Utrecht, The Netherlands (hereinafter Zoho). The data is stored on Zoho's servers in the Netherlands / in the EU. In order to provide the service, we and our affiliated companies (acc. to § 15 AktG) have entered into a contract for commissioned data processing with Zoho.

You have the right to be informed at any time about the data stored about you in the customer database and you can request that the data is changed or deleted.

Further information on data protection at Zoho CRM can be found online at: https://www.zoho.com/crm/gdpr/ as well as https://www.zoho.com/security.html.

2) Collection and Processing of Personal Data when Accessing this Website

2.1) General
No personal data will normally be collected when you access our website. Whenever personal data (such as name, address, or email address in contact forms) are collected on our webpages you will give them on a voluntary basis. Your data will be automatically SSL (Sockets Layer Proto­col) en­coded right away. Your data will be saved and processed according to European and Ger­man data protection guidelines (DSGVO and DSAnpUG incl. BDSG-NEU) as well as in accord­ance with our internal rules. 

Personal data collected in connection with this website will be used for processing your en­quir­ies and orders. Depending on the type and contents of your enquiry, your data may be passed on to associated companies (acc. to §15 AktG) if this is necessary for processing purposes.

2.2) Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). The use is based on § 6 para. 1 p. 1 DSGVO. Google Analytics uses so-called “Cookies“, i.e. text files which are saved on your computer and which allow to analyze your use of this website. The in­formation created by the cookie regarding your use of the website such as 

• Browser type/version,
• Operating system used,
• Referrer URL (previous website used),
• Host name of the accessing computer (anonymised IP address),
• Time of the server server request, 

will usually be transferred to a Google server in the USA where they are saved. The IP address transmitted by your browser in connection with Google Analytics will not be matched with other Google data. On this website, we have enhanced Google Analytics by the “anonymizeIP“ code. This guarantees the masking of your IP address so that all data will be collected anony­mously. Only in exceptional cases will the complete IP address be transferred to a Google server in the USA where it will be abbreviated.

As instructed by the operator of this website, Google will use this information to analyze your use of the website, compile reports on the website activities, and to provide the website opera­tor with other services in connection with the use of websites and of the Internet. You can pre­vent the saving of cookies through appropriate settings in your browser software; please note however that by doing so you may not be able to use all functions of this website to their full extent.

Apart from that you can prevent the collection of data (incl. your IP address) created by the cookie in connection with your use of the website through Google and Google’s processing of these data by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available via the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

We also use Google Analytics for analyzing data from double-click cookies and AdWords for sta­tistical purposes. If you do not agree, you can disable this function by means of the Ads Prefer­ences manager (https://adssettings.google.com).

For more information on data protection in connection with Google Analytics please refer to the Google Analytics Help function (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de)

2.3) Cookies
Our Internet pages use so-called "cookies". Cookies are lines of special information in text files that are exchanged between the website and the browser and serve to preserve states and whose information is stored on your end device and does not cause any damage to your end device. Colloquially, they could also be described as small text files. They are stored on your device either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (permanent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Permanent cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them yourself or they are automatically deleted by your web browser.

In some cases, cookies from third-party companies may also be stored on your device when you visit our website (third-party cookies). These enable us or you to use certain services of the third-party company (e.g. cookies for processing payment services).

Cookies have various functions. Many cookies are technically necessary, as certain website functions would not work without them (e.g. the shopping cart function or the display of videos). Other cookies are used to evaluate user behavior or display advertising.

Cookies that are required to carry out the electronic communication process (necessary cookies) or to provide certain functions that you have requested (functional cookies, e.g. for the shopping cart function) or to optimize the website (e.g. cookies to measure the web audience) are stored on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, unless another legal basis is specified. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the storage of cookies for the technically error-free and optimized provision of its services. If consent to the storage of cookies has been requested, the cookies in question are stored exclusively on the basis of this consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR); consent can be revoked at any time.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when closing the browser. If cookies are deactivated, the functionality of this website may be restricted.

If cookies are used by third-party companies or for analysis purposes, we will inform you about this separately in the context of this privacy policy and, if necessary, request your consent.

Change consent | Cookie declaration

2.4) Newsletter
We and companies affiliated with us (pursuant to §15 AktG) use Zoho Campaigns to send newsletters. The provider of this application is Zoho Corporation B.V., Beneluxlaan 4B, 3527 HT Utrecht, The Netherlands (hereinafter: Zoho). Zoho Campaigns is a service for creating, sending and managing marketing emails and newsletters. The data is stored on Zoho's servers in the Netherlands / in the EU. Responsible for the data processing process towards you is ICS. The newsletter is only available in German.

2.4.1) Registration
We offer you the possibility to subscribe to our newsletter on our website. If you would like to receive the newsletter offered on the website, we require a valid e-mail address from you as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the e-mail address provided or that the owner agrees to receive the newsletter. You are free to enter your last name and title when registering for the newsletter. Further data will not be collected. The personal data collected will be used to send you e-mail newsletters. You give us your consent in accordance with the law using the double opt-in procedure.

With your consent, you can subscribe to our newsletter. The data you enter for the purpose of receiving the newsletter (e.g. e-mail address) will be stored on Zoho's servers. A corresponding processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a DSGVO. By subscribing to the newsletter, you consent to us measuring your click and opening behavior in order to provide you with an optimal offer of our newsletter dispatch.

2.4.2) Order data processing
We and our affiliated companies (according to §15 AktG) have concluded an order processing agreement with Zoho and fully implement the legal requirements of European and German data protection when using Zoho Campaigns. We transfer your data deposited during registration to Zoho only for the purpose of sending marketing emails and newsletters by us. Data is stored by Zoho in such a way that other Zoho customers or third parties do not have access to this data.

2.4.3) Additional information about Zoho Campaigns
You can view the Zoho Campaigns Terms of Use that apply to us at the following link: https://www.zoho.com/de/campaigns/terms.html. For more information about Zoho Campaigns' privacy practices, please visit us online at: https://www.zoho.com/de/crm/gdpr/. For information about the protections under Zoho Campaigns, please refer to the following website linked below: https://www.zoho.com/security.html.  

2.4.4) Revocation
You may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing carried out so far. If consent is revoked, we will stop the corresponding data processing. If you no longer wish to receive a newsletter in the future, you can also easily unsubscribe at any time, e.g. via the unsubscribe link at the end of each newsletter or by sending an e-mail to marketing@ics-group.eu. Your data for the newsletter dispatch will be deleted after the end of the newsletter receipt, provided that the deletion does not conflict with any legal retention obligations.

2.5) Data Protection Statement for the Use of Facebook 
2.5.1) External links to the Facebook network
On our pages there are links to our channel of social network Facebook, 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA integrated. You can recognize the Facebook links by the Facebook logo on our page. The plug-ins can be recognized by way of the Facebook logo or the supplement "Facebook Social Plug-in". When you visit our Facebook channel, a direct connection is established between your browser and the Facebook server. Furthermore, Facebook makes your likes public for your Facebook friends. If you are logged into Facebook, it can assign the invocation of our page directly to your Facebook account. Even if you are not logged in or don't have a Facebook account, your browser sends information (e.g. which web pages you have called up, your IP address) which is then stored by Facebook. For details about handling of your personal data by Facebook and your related rights, please refer to the data privacy policy of Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

If you do not want Facebook to map data collected about you via our Web sites to your Facebook account, you must log out of Facebook before you visit our web pages.

2.5.2) Facebook Marketing Services (Facebook Pixels and Custom Audiences)
Within our online offer, the so-called "Facebook pixel" of the social network Facebook, which is operated by Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA, or if you are resident in the EU, Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland ("Facebook"), is used for the purposes of analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offer.

For data exchanges with Facebook (if outside the EU), the Facebook European Data Transfer Agreement Addendum will apply, effective 09/27/2021: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum

With the help of the Facebook pixel, Facebook is able to determine the visitors of our online offer as a target group for the presentation of ads (so-called "Facebook ads"). Accordingly, we use the Facebook pixel to display the Facebook ads placed by us only to Facebook users who have shown an interest in our online offering or who have certain characteristics (e.g. interests in certain topics or products that are determined on the basis of the websites visited) that we transmit to Facebook (so-called "custom audiences"). Using Facebook pixels, we also want to ensure that our Facebook ads match the potential interest of users and are not annoying. The Facebook pixel also enables us to track the effectiveness of Facebook ads for statistical and market research purposes by showing whether users were referred to our website after clicking on a Facebook ad (known as "conversion").

The Facebook pixel is directly integrated by Facebook when our web pages are accessed and can store a so-called cookie, i.e. a small file, on your device. So-called first-party cookies, i.e. cookies stored under the domain of our website, are used here. If you then log in to Facebook or visit Facebook when logged in, the visit to our online service is noted in your profile. The data collected about you is anonymous to us and does not allow us to draw any conclusions about the identity of the user. However, the data is stored and processed by Facebook so that a connection to the respective user profile is possible and can be used by Facebook as well as for its own market research and advertising purposes. If we transmit data to Facebook for comparison purposes, this data is encrypted locally on the browser and only then sent to Facebook via a secure https connection. This is done solely for the purpose of comparing it with the data encrypted by Facebook and only with your consent.

If we ask users to consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for processing is consent in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a DSGVO. In all other respects, the processing takes place on the basis of our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO in a user-oriented and economically efficient operation of our online service.

Facebook processes the data in accordance with the Facebook Data Usage Guidelines. Accordingly, general notes on the presentation of Facebook ads in the Facebook data usage guideline: https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

Specific information and details about Facebook pixels and how they work can be found in the Facebook help section: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/651294705016616.

You may opt out of Facebook pixel collection and use of your information to display Facebook ads. To set what types of ads you see within Facebook, you can go to the page set up by Facebook and follow the instructions on the settings for usage-based ads: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads. The settings are platform-independent, i.e. they are applied to all devices, such as desktop computers or mobile devices.

You may refuse the use of cookies for range measurement and advertising purposes by selecting the appropriate settings on the Network Advertising Initiative deactivation page (http://optout.networkadvertising.org/) or by visiting the U.S. website (http://www.aboutads.info/choices) or the European website (http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices/).

2.6) Data Protection Statement for the Use of Instagram
We use social plugins from Instagram. These features are offered by Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. If you are logged into your Instagram account, you can link the contents of our site to your Instagram profile by clicking the Instagram button. This allows Instagram to assign the visit to our site to your user account. We would like to point out that, as the provider of the site, we do not have any knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by Instagram. For more information, please refer to Instagram's privacy policy: http://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/

2.7) Data Protection Statement for the Use of LinkedIn
Our website uses functions of the LinkedIn network. Its provider is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Whenever you access one of our pages that in­cludes LinkedIn functions, a connection with the LinkedIn servers will be established. LinkedIn will be informed that you have accessed our Internet pages through your IP address. If you click on the LinkedIn "Recommend button" while being logged into LinkedIn account, LinkedIn can allocate your visit of our Internet pages to you and your user account. Please note that we as the provider of these pages have no knowledge of the contents of the data transmitted and of their use by LinkedIn.

For more information please refer to LinkedIn’s data protection statement at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

2.8) Data Protection Statement for the Use of Twitter
Our pages contain functions of the service Twitter. These functions are offered by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. By using Twitter and the function "Re-Tweet", the websites accessed by you will be linked with your Twitter account and will be visible to other users. There will be data transfer to Twitter. Please note that we as the provider of these pages have no knowledge of the contents of the data transmitted, and of Twitter’s use of them. For more information please refer to Twitter’s data protection statement http://twitter.com/privacy.

You can amend your data protection settings for Twitter in the account settings at http://twitter.com/account/settings.

2.9) Data Protection Statement for the Use of Xing
Our website uses functions of the XING network. The provider is XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Deutschland. Whenever you access one of our pages that contains Xing functions, a connection with the Xing servers will be established. To our knowledge, no personal data will be saved in this case. No IP addresses will be saved, nor will be utilization behav­ior be analyzed.

For more information on data protection and the Xing Share button please refer to Xing’s data protection statement at https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection

2.10) Data Protection Statement for the Use of YouTube
Our website uses functions from Google's YouTube site. This website is operated by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. If you visit one of our pages equipped with a YouTube plugin, a connection to the YouTube servers is established. The Youtube server will be informed that you have accessed our Internet pages through your IP address.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, you allow YouTube to associate your surfing behavior directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.

Further information on how user data is handled can be found in YouTube's privacy policy at: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy

2.11) Contact Form
When you send us enquiries using our contact form, your entries in the enquiry form including your contact details will be saved by us in order to process your enquiry and in case of further questions. Depending on the type and the contents of your enquiry, your data may be passed on to associated companies (acc. to § 15 AktG) if this is necessary for processing your enquiry.

2.12) Links to other Websites and Third Party Applications
For the interaction with other websites for which you are registered as a user (e.g. Facebook etc.) we can provide links or integrate applications of third parties. We can also provide you with gen­eral links to websites of other provider.

The use of these links and applications is controlled by the providers of these pages and is sub­ject to their data protection guidelines. ICS International GmbH Identcode-Systeme is not re­sponsible for the data protection stipulations or the contents of these pages.

2.13) Data Protection Statement for the use of Zoho SalesIQ and Zoho Page Sense
Zoho SalesIQ:
When you visit our website, anonymous usage data is collected using the ZOHO service SalesIQ (https://zoho.eu/salesiq). SalesIQ uses so-called "cookies" which enable an analysis of our website. You can prevent this "tracking" by making the appropriate settings in your browser. We store this data exclusively for statistical purposes. The IP addresses are shortened by the last digits within the framework of legislation in order to guarantee anonymity.

Through the service Sales IQ we also provide a chat function on our website (or selected websites). You can use the chat completely anonymously and enter your request - without providing personal data - in the chat text field. Optionally, you can enter your name and e-mail address in the chat contact fields. Chat logs are stored in our customer database (Zoho CRM). We only store business relevant contacts and chat logs.

Zoho Page Sense:
When you visit our website, anonymous usage data is collected using the ZOHO PageSense service (https://zoho.eu/pagesense). Page Sense only records visits and clicks to our website anonymously. There is no inference about individual visitors. PageSense only enables us to check the general use of our website in the form of a heat map and to display its important content in the right place on the individual websites. No usage data or personal data is collected or stored.

2.14) Privacy Policy for the Use of the Appointment Scheduling Function of Acuity Scheduling.
The website uses the "Acuity Scheduling" service in some places to simplify appointment scheduling via an integrated calendar function. The provider of this tool is Acuity Scheduling Inc, a Squarespace company, NY, USA. Acuity Scheduling enables us to process appointment requests faster and in a more customer-friendly manner.

When you book an appointment (support, consulting, sales, etc.) online via our website, the data you enter will be transferred to our protected account at Acuity Scheduling for processing your appointment request. You will then receive an appointment confirmation by email. If you decide to cancel your appointment reservation, after saving the appointment, please click "Cancel". You will then receive an appointment cancellation confirmation via email. If you wish to stop receiving appointment notifications, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" button in the email. In addition, you have the right to request deletion of your data at any time. To do so, please contact us at marketing@ics-group.eu.

Your personal data is protected with Acutiy Scheduling. Data transfer and storage are governed by Art. 45 and 46 of the GDPR. For more information, if required, please refer to the related privacy policy of the provider https://acuityscheduling.com/privacy.php as well as the addendum to the provider's data processing declaration with effect from 09/27/2021: https://www.squarespace.com/dpa.

The legal basis for the processing is our legitimate interest in offering you a user-friendly, time-saving appointment arrangement (cf. Art. 6 (1) lit. f DSGVO). If you do not wish to use the service, you always have the option to use an alternative contact channel (e.g. via the contact form on the website).

If necessary, we may pass on your transmitted data to companies affiliated with us (according to Section 15 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG)), insofar as this is necessary for processing your appointment request or concern. ICS International is the solely responsible party to you for your personal data and its use in Acuity Scheduling. You can request the deletion of your data stored in Acuity Scheduling at any time by notifying us.

2.15) Data protection declaration for the use of the Microsoft Office services “Bookings” and “Teams”.
On our websites and in other digital media, especially in emails, we offer you the opportunity to reserve consultation and/or consultation appointments (on-site, online, hybrid) with us directly using the Microsoft calendar function “Bookings” and to reserve these in the event from “teams” online.

The provider of the services is Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA. ICS is responsible for data processing within the meaning of the GDPR when using these services.

The following personal data may be processed when using the services, including but not limited to: 

Microsoft bookings:

• Surname
• E-mail address
• Telephone number if applicable
• Appointment information (date, time, purpose of the appointment)
• If necessary, further information provided by the user in the appointment content 

Microsoft Teams: 

• User account information (e.g. name, email address, profile picture)
• Communication content (e.g. chat messages, files, shared content)
• Metadata about the use of Microsoft Teams (e.g. IP addresses, device information, location data)

you and for live communication with you (in the case of Microsoft Teams). Data processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1 GDPR.
We may pass on your data to an affiliated company (according to Section 15 AktG) and, if necessary, other third parties if this is necessary to prepare and/or fulfill an appointment with you. In addition, data will only be passed on to third parties if we are legally obliged to do so.

We and companies affiliated with us (according to section 15 AktG) take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, loss or misuse. This includes encryption of data transmissions, access restrictions and regular reviews of our security measures.

Other third parties to whom we transmit personal data are contractually obliged to take appropriate data protection measures.

The data collected will be stored for as long as it is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the appointment or as long as there is a legal obligation to retain it. Once the purpose or the retention period has expired, the data will be deleted. If a business relationship with you is initiated or contractually concluded after an appointment has been concluded, the statutory retention period of the data applies for the resulting fulfillment purpose.

In accordance with applicable data protection laws, you have the right to access, rectify, delete and restrict the processing of your personal data. You also have the right to object to the processing of your data and the right to data portability. Please contact us using the contact details provided at the end of the data protection declaration.

Further information about Microsoft's services and the provider's respective data protection regulations can be found here: https://privacy.microsoft.com/de-de/privacystatement. You can view Microsoft's security measures for Microsoft 365 services (such as bookings and teams) here: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/business/data-security-privacy-germany.

2.16) Privacy policy for the use of Proven Expert 
Our website uses plugins from the customer evaluation platform Proven Expert. The provider is Expert Systems AG, Quedlinburger Str. 1, 10589 Berlin, Germany. In the context of the creation of reviews, only your email address and the corresponding log file are stored as inventory data. A log file consists of the IP address assigned to the inquiring computer by the Internet access provider for the session, as well as the name and version of the Internet browser with which you accessed our website.

You also have the option of entering your first and last name, which is then also stored. Personal data (e.g. name and e-mail address) is always processed in accordance with the basic data protection regulation and in compliance with the applicable data protection regulations. Evaluations can be made anonymously. Further information about the handling of Proven Expert and the respective data protection can be found under: https://www.provenexpert.com/en-us/privacy-policy/