Privacy Policy
Protecting your Privacy
This privacy policy sets out the obligations of Sharper Labs IT Consultancy regarding data protection and your rights as a data subject in respect of your personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018).
Sharper Labs IT Consultancy is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected, and our website complies with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and is in line with UK GDPR policy guidelines. This policy outlines how and why we collect, store, use, and share your personal data. It also explains your rights in relation to your personal data, how to contact us, and recourse to supervisory authorities in the event that a complaint arises. The policy outlines our obligations regarding the collection, processing, transfer, storage, and disposal of your personal data. We have implemented procedures and policies for our employees, agents, contractors, or other parties working on behalf of our firm to follow at all times.
Sharper Labs IT Consultancy may update this policy from time to time to reflect and remain consistent with any governmental, legislative, or company policy changes. This policy is effective from the 1st of May 2022.
Who Are We?
Sharper Labs IT Consultancy, a part of Sharper Labs Group Ltd, is engaged in providing a wide variety of IT services such as Graphic Design / Branding, Web Design & Development, Website Application / Software, Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media Marketing, and Business Intelligence Reporting in the United Kingdom.
What and Whom Do We Collect From?
We collect and use personal data to provide IT services to the following groups:
- Prospective businesses
- Prospective and live client contacts
- Support service and supplier contacts
- Employees and Consultants
We may collect the following information:
- Name and address
- Contact information including email addresses, postcodes, and telephone numbers
- Demographic information such as age, preferences, and interests
- Other information relevant to customer needs and/or concern.
Why do We Collect Information?
Under data protection law, we can only use your personal data if we have a proper reason:
- Where you have given consent
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
- For the performance of a service for you or to perform a service on your behalf
- For our legitimate interests or those of a third party.
We may also do so to provide you with information, products, and services that you may request from us or that we think will be of interest to you because it is relevant to you or your organisation.
We handle the processing of your data as it falls within our legitimate interest. We will in some instances rely on your consent for the use of your data. You will always be asked to express your consent in these instances prior to their use.
Legitimate Interests
A legitimate interest is when we have a business or commercial reason to use your personal data, so long as this is not overridden by your own rights and interests. We will always carry out an assessment when relying on legitimate interests to balance our interests against your own.
To better serve our clients and to improve our provision of IT services, we need to maintain a database of client names, contact details, personal data containing historical information, and current service requirements. We may also need to record the data of prospective clients to maintain, expand and develop our business.
We have a legitimate interest in using your personal data for marketing purposes. This means we do not need usually need your consent to send you marketing information. If we change our marketing approach in the future so that consent is needed, we will ask for this separately and clearly. You have the right to opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by writing or contacting us.
In addition, we require your data for the following reasons:
- Internal recordkeeping
- Website usage function
- Notification about changes to our service
- Market research purposes
Where do we store and process your personal data?
We keep your information on our electronic database that is stored on our on-site servers. We access our servers daily for our day-to-day business activities from a secure platform that is password protected and has strict user restrictions. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try and prevent unauthorised access.
Although the data that we collect from you may/will be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) but will not be transferred to third parties outside of the UK for the purpose of our recruitment services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storage, or processing. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy notice.
We try to limit any printed materials especially any that contain personal information. Under most circumstances, it is company policy to routinely destroy printed confidential information.
It is the role of the Data Compliance Officer to ensure that data records are kept confidential and secure. To prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect verbally and electronically. We regularly ensure our employees are up-to-date on our company’s privacy policies.
How do we use cookies?
Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behaviour information. When you visit our websites, we may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technologies.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical and analytic purposes. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. You may set your browser to decline cookies, however, choosing to do so may prevent certain website functions from operating properly.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). For more information about Google Analytics Cookies, please see Google’s help pages and privacy policy:
Cookie Categories
The Cookies we use will generally fall into the following categories:
- Strictly Necessary Cookies: necessary for You to browse the website or use our product and/or use each’s features and cannot be turned off.
- Preference Cookies: allow Sharper Labs IT Consultancy to remember your preferences when you visit our website after your initial visit.
- Marketing Cookies: allow Sharper Labs IT Consultancy and our third-party partners to provide you with interest-based advertising and tailored content across your browsers and devices.
- Functionality Cookies: allow Sharper Labs IT Consultancy to host videos or utilise a chatbot for example.
- Analytic Cookies: provide Sharper Labs IT Consultancy information about how website visitors use our website.
- Session Cookies: are temporary and expire once you close your browser.
- Persistent Cookies: remain on your hard drive until you erase them, or your browser does.
- First Party Cookies: are placed on your device directly by Sharper Labs IT Consultancy’s website.
- Third-Party Cookies: are placed on your device by a third party when you visit our website.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have control over any external website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites, and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
Controlling your personal information
We value our customers and their privacy, and we will not sell, distribute, or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so.
We will not keep your personal data for longer than we need it for the purpose for which it is used or as agreed with you. As a general rule, if we are no longer providing services to you, we will generally retain your data for a maximum of six years after which it will be destroyed. However, different retention periods apply for different types of personal data and for different services.
Data Subject Access Requests
You may make a Subject Access Request (SAR) at any time to find out more about any data that we hold about you, what it is doing with that personal data, and why.
If you wish to make a SAR, you may do so in writing or by telephone. You should send your request to enquiries@sharper-labs.com, by post to Arquen House, 4-6 Spicer Street, St. Albans, England, AL3 4PQ, or by calling 0203 819399. Responses to SARs are normally made within one month of receipt. However, it may be extended by up to two months if the SAR is deemed complex, or if several requests are made. If this additional time is required, you will be informed.
- You have the right to request what information we hold about you.
- You have the right to ask for any information we hold about you to be updated or deleted.
- If you believe that any information, we are holding on about you is incorrect or incomplete or you would like it deleted then please contact us either verbally, or in writing at the below contact details.
Contacting Us
If you have any questions about our Company’s Privacy Policy or the data we hold on you, or you would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Our Registered office address:
Arquen House, 4-6 Spicer Street, St. Albans, England, United Kingdom, AL3 4PQ
Telephone: 0203 8193999
London Branch:
Confero House, 333 Edgware Road, London, NW9 6TD
Telephone: 0203 8193999
Contacting the Appropriate Authority
Should you wish to report a complaint or if you feel that our Company has not addressed your concern in a satisfactory manner, you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner in the UK.
The UK’s Information Commissioner may be contacted using the details at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or by telephone at: 0303 123 1113
Changes to the Privacy Policy
Our Company keeps its Privacy Policy under constant review and places any updates on this Web Page. This Privacy Policy was last updated on 29 April 2023.
