SMS Virtual Solutions (“SMSVS,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) values the privacy of the individuals who use our technology, websites, and related services (collectively, the “Platform”). This privacy policy will help you understand what information we collect and use at SMSVS, and the choices you have associated with that information.

 

Information We Collect

 

A. What We Collect

 

Device Information. SMSVS receives information from your devices, including IP address, location, web browser type, mobile operating system version, phone carrier and manufacturer, application installations, device identifiers, mobile advertising identifiers, push notification tokens, and, if you register with your social media account (such as Facebook, Google or LinkedIn), your applicable social media identifier. 2022

 

Service Data (including Session and Usage data). To help us understand how you use the Platform or our services and to help us improve it, we automatically receive information about your interactions with the Platform, like the pages or other content you view, your actions within the Platform, and the dates and times of your visits. When you use the platform, we receive information generated through such use, either entered by you or others who use the platform with you (for example, schedules, attendee info, etc.), or from the Platform itself (for example, duration of session, use of webcams, connection information, servicing information, etc.).  We may also collect usage and log data, including diagnostic data to help us support the services.

 

Call, Email and Text Information. We work with third-party partners to facilitate calls, emails and text messages to you. We may receive information about these communications including the date and time of the call, email or SMS message, and whether the call was answered or the message was received or opened. We will share your information with such partners to facilitate these communications and to help us provide services on the Platform.

 

Third Party Analytics. We use third party technologies, such as Facebook Analytics and Google Analytics, to help us to understand how you use the website and Platform and ways that we can improve your experience. These technologies may track things such as how long you spend on the site and the pages that you visit so we can continue to produce engaging content and improve the platform and your experience. We also use social media buttons and plugins that allow you to connect with your social network in various ways, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  These sites may set cookies through our site which may be used to enhance your profile on their site or contribute to the data they hold for various purposes outlined in their respective privacy policies.

 

Tracking Technologies. SMSVS and our partners use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track user traffic patterns and hold certain registration information. Tracking technologies also used are beacons, tags and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze our service.

 

 

Information from Cookies and Similar Technologies. We are continuously improving the Platform through the use of various third-party web analytics tools, which help us understand how visitors use our websites, desktop tools, and mobile applications, what they like and dislike, and where they may have problems. We collect information through the use of “cookies”, tracking pixels, and similar technologies to understand how you navigate through the Platform and interact with advertisements, to learn what content is popular, and to save your preferences. Cookies are small text files that web servers place on your device; they are designed to store basic information and to help websites and apps recognize your browser. We may use both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie disappears after you close your browser. A persistent cookie remains after you close your browser and may be accessed every time you use the Platform. You can consult your web browser(s) to modify your cookie settings. Please note that if you delete or choose not to accept certain cookies from us, you may be missing out on certain features of the Platform.

 

 

Examples of Cookies We Use:

 

Cookie Type

Purpose

Description

Session Cookies

 

We use these cookies to operate our websites.

 

Some cookies are essential for the operation of SMSVS websites. If a user chooses to disable these cookies, the user will not be able to access all of the content and features.

 

Preference Cookies

 

We use these cookies to remember your preferences.

 

When you register at a SMSVS website, we use cookies to store unique, randomly assigned user IDs that we generate for administrative purposes. These cookies enable you to enter the SMSVS sites without having to log on each time.

 

Advertising Cookies

 

 

 

These cookies are used to serve you with advertisements that may be relevant to you and your interests.

 

 

We use cookies to make advertising more engaging to users, as well as to assist in reporting on marketing program performance and analytics.

 

Security Cookies

 

 

 

 

These cookies are used for general security purposes and user authentication.

 

We use security cookies to authenticate users, prevent fraudulent use of login credentials, and protect user data from access by unauthorized parties.

 

Location Information. We collect your location-based information for the purpose of providing and supporting the service and for fraud prevention and security monitoring. If you wish to opt-out of the collection and use of your collection information, you may do so by turning it off on your device settings.

 

Servicing Information. When you service a client program using the SMSVS Platform, we collect your servicing information, such as login and logout times, calls taken, accounts accessed, schedules, etc.

 

B. Information You Provide to Us

 

Your Profile Information. When you register to use the Platform, you give us your name, email address, phone number, date of birth, physical address, Social Security number and certain other personal information.

 

Payment Method. When you use a credit card on the Platform, a third party that handles payments for us will receive your card information. To keep your financial data secure, we do not store credit card information on our servers.

 

Communications. If you contact us directly, we may receive additional information about you. For example, when you contact our Partner Support Team, we may receive the contents of a message or attachments that you may send to us, and other information you choose to provide.

 

Payment Information. To make sure companies using the Platform get paid, we keep information about companies’ bank routing numbers, tax information, and any other payment information provided by business owners.

 

C. Information We Collect from Third Parties

 

Third Party Partners. Once you register to use the Platform, we may receive additional information about you, such as demographic data, payment information, or fraud detection information, from third party partners and combine it with other information that we have about you. We may receive information about you from other sources, including publicly available databases or third parties from whom we have purchased data, and combine this data with information we already have about you. We may also receive information from other affiliated companies that are a part of our corporate group. This helps us to update, expand and analyze our records, identify new prospects for marketing, and provide products and services that may be of interest to you.

 

Background Information. SMSVS works with third party partners to perform identity verification and criminal background checks on individuals registered to use the Platform, and we may receive information from them such as publicly available information about your criminal history. We share certain of your information with these partners who help us by running background checks and identity verification on you for security purposes.

 

How We Use the Information We Collect

 

We may access and use the data we collect as necessary (a) to provide and maintain the Platform; (b) to provide our services to you and our other clients; (c) to verify your identity; (d) to address and respond to service, security, and customer support issues; (e) to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, unlawful, or technical issues; (f) as required by law; (g) to fulfill our contracts; (h) to improve and enhance the Platform; and (i) to provide analysis or valuable information back to our you and our other clients.

 

Some specific examples of how we use the information are as follows:

 

Create and administer your account;
Provide, improve, expand, and promote the Platform;
Provide services to you and other clients;
Confirm your identity;
Send you updates and servicing information;
Analyze how you use the Platform;
Analyze the services you provide on client programs (which may include screen recording, limited viewing or listening while servicing);
Communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for marketing and promotional purposes;
Send emails and text messages to individuals who have started the registration process regarding the status of their registration;
Determine your eligibility to use the Platform;
Analyze data, including through automated systems and machine learning, to understand what opportunities you might be interested in;
Notify you about servicing opportunities and service updates;
Personalize the SMSVS experience for you;
Call you or send you emails and text messages;
Facilitate transactions and payments;
Provide you with support;

 

Conduct research and analysis and analyze data, including through automated systems and machine learning, to improve our services and your experience;
Find and prevent fraud and other unlawful conduct; and
Respond to security, confidentiality and safety issues that may arise, and requests from government authorities.

 

How We Share the Information We Collect With Third Parties

 

Ensuring your privacy is important to us. We do not share your personal information with third parties except as described in this privacy policy. We may share your personal information with (a) third party service providers; (b) business partners; (c) affiliated companies within our corporate structure and (d) as needed for legal purposes. Third party service providers have access to personal information only as needed to perform their functions.

 

Examples of how we may share information with service providers include:

•     Providing our services;

•     Payment processing and fraud prevention;

•     Providing customer support;

•     Sending marketing communications;

•     Conducting research and analysis; and

•     Providing cloud computing infrastructure.

 

Clients. We will transfer information about you to clients if you are servicing one of such client’s programs via the Platform.

 

Service Providers. We work with many third-party service providers that perform services to for us, and we will share your information with such service providers to help us provide services on the Platform for you and other clients.  We will also share your information with third party service partners (including other users of the Platform such as instructors or support resources) that are supporting you and your company as part of a client program you are servicing.

 

Third Party Services. The SMSVS Platform may allow you to connect with other websites, products, or services that we don’t have control over. If you use these services, we will provide the third party with information about you to allow them to provide the service to you. We can’t speak to the privacy practices of these third parties, and we encourage you to read their privacy policies before deciding whether to use their services.

 

Other Sharing. We may share your information with third parties in the following cases:

 

While negotiating or in relation to a change of corporate control such as a restructuring, merger or sale of our assets;
If a government authority requests information and we think disclosure is required or appropriate in order to comply with laws, regulations, or a legal process;
With law enforcement officials, government authorities, or third parties if we think doing so is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of a client or its customers, SMSVS, or the public;
To comply with a legal requirement or process, including but not limited to, civil and criminal subpoenas, court orders or other compulsory disclosures.
If you signed up for a promotion with another person’s referral or promotion code, with your referrer to let them know about your redemption of or qualification for the promotion;
To provide information about the use of the Platform to potential business partners in aggregated or de-identified form that can’t reasonably be used to identify you; and
Whenever you consent to the sharing.

 

Communications

 

We may need to communicate with you for a variety of different reasons, including:

 

 

Responding to your questions and requests. If you contact us with a problem or question, we will use your information to respond.
Sending you service and administrative emails and messages. We may contact you to inform you about changes in our services or the Platform, our offerings, and important service related notices, such as client updates, security and fraud notices. These emails and messages are considered a necessary part of the services and you may not opt-out of them.
Sending emails about new products or other news about SMSVS that we think you’d like to hear about either from us or from our business partners. You can always opt out of these types of messages at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each communication.
Conducting surveys. We may use the information gathered in the surveys to enhance and personalize our platform, services, and websites.
Offering referral programs and incentives.

 

 

Your Choices

 

Email Subscriptions. You can always unsubscribe from our commercial or promotional emails but we will still send you service and administrative emails about your use of the Platform and servicing client programs. You can opt out of receiving marketing emails from SMSVS by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email.  To opt out of all other emails from SMSVS, email Admissions@smsvirtualsolutions.com.  Please include your name, your email address, and your User/CSP ID.

 

Text Messages. You can opt out of receiving all texts from SMSVS by editing your contact information in your profile in the Platform portal.  Unselect the check box at the bottom left-hand side of the page that says “Check here to confirm your agreement to receive text messages from the Platform” and save the change. After opting out of the text message feature, you will stop receiving text messages within 24 hours.  If you are unable to login to the portal, please send an email to Admissions@smsvirtualsolutions.com withdrawing your consent to receive text messages. Please include your name, the name of your call center, your phone number and your User/CSP ID.

 

Editing and Accessing Your Information. You can review, update and edit certain account information by logging in to your profile. SMSVS will also, when you request, provide you with information about whether a third party holds or processes any of your personal information on behalf of SMSVS.  Please contact us if you need assistance in reviewing your information. We will respond to your access request to review the information we have on file for you within a reasonable time. If you would like to limit the use of, disclosure of, or delete your personal data, please open a ticket with Partner Support or contact us. You may request that your data be deleted. You may request the limited use of your data including limiting the use related to marketing. You may also request to halt SMSVS's use of, processing of, or onward transfer by SMSVS to third-party partners of your personal information.

 

If would like to terminate your registration or  account, please open a ticket with Partner Support. If you choose to terminate your account, we will deactivate it for you but may retain information from your account for a certain period of time and disclose it in a manner consistent with our practices under this privacy policy for accounts that are not closed. We also may retain information from your account to collect any fees owed, resolve disputes, troubleshoot problems, analyze usage of the Platform, assist with any investigations, prevent fraud, enforce our agreements, or take other actions as required or permitted by law.

 

Location of Data

 

SMSVS is headquartered in the United States of America and maintains a global infrastructure, as do many of the third-party service providers with whom we work.  Information that we collect and maintain may be transferred to, or controlled and processed in, the United States and other countries around the world. When you provide us with information or use the Platform or our website(s) and services, you consent to this transfer.  We will protect the privacy and security of personal information we collect in accordance with this privacy policy, regardless of where it is processed or stored.

 

Other Information

 

Data Security. We are committed to protecting your data. Even though we take reasonable precautions to protect your data, no security measures can be 100% secure and we cannot guarantee the security of your data. We recommend safeguarding your password, as it is one of the easiest ways you can manage the security of your own account – remember that if you lose control over your password, you may lose control over your personal information.

 

Data Retention.  SMSVS will retain your information for as long as your account with us is active and then (a) pursuant to our records retention schedules and practices, (b) to comply with our legal obligations, (c) to resolve disputes, and (d) to enforce our agreements.

 

Children’s Privacy. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we find out that a child under 18 has given us personal information, we will take steps to delete that information. If you believe that a child under the age of 18 has given us personal information, please email us at Admissions@smsvirtualsolutions.com.

 

Changes to Our Privacy Policy. We may make changes to this privacy policy from time to time. If we make any material changes, we will let you know through the Platform, by email, or other communication. We encourage you to read this privacy policy periodically to stay up-to-date about our privacy practices. As long as you use the Platform, you are agreeing to this privacy policy and any updates we make to it.

 

Last Updated: February 16, 2021