Privacy

National Interop recognizes privacy and security as being a legitimate concern for most individuals accessing the Internet. Please review our guidelines, which address the following questions:

What information is collected?
What about Cookies?
Who is collecting the information?
How is my information used?
With whom does National Interop share my information?
What choices do I have regarding the collection, use and distribution of my information?
How can I correct or change my personal information?
What about my child's privacy?

By using our Web site, you consent to the collection and use of your information by National Interop as set forth in the privacy policy currently in effect. If we decide to change our policy, such changes will be posted here on the Web site, so please check back periodically to ensure you have the most current policy.

What information is Collected?

When a visitor requests information from us, National Interop may collect personally identifiable information, including name, title, company, address, e-mail address, and phone numbers. We do not require this information to obtain access to any part of our public site, but do require it if you wish to download information and/or software that we make available from time to time.

We may also collect non-personally identifiable information and user names. This information is used to measure number of visits, average time spent on a National Interop Web site, pages viewed, etc. We use this information to measure the use of our sites and to improve the content of our sites.

What about Cookies?

When you come into our site, our server may attach a small text file to your hard drive -- a cookie. Your unique cookie tells us that it's you whenever you re-enter our site, so we can recall where you've previously been on our site, and what, if anything, you have in your shopping cart. Cookies help us deliver a better Web site experience to our users.

Generally, we use cookies to:

(1) Remind us of who you are and to access your account information (stored on our computers) in order to deliver to you a better and more personalized experience.

(2) Determine the effectiveness of our e-commerce relationships. National Interop's partners and other marketing programs may use cookies to identify the sites from which a user enters our site. Users linking to the National Interop site from one of our partner or affiliate sites are given a unique cookie. This cookie identifies from which site the user linked to National Interop. This information is used to determine the effectiveness of our relationships and to administrate our various marketing programs. This information may also be used to help target advertisements based on user interests and behavior.

(3) Track your progress in our various marketing programs.

(4) Measure traffic patterns, and which areas of the National Interop site you have visited, and your visiting patterns. This information is collected by using a cookie, and is sometimes called "clickstream." We use this information to understand how our users navigate our site, and to determine common traffic patterns, including what site the user came from. We use this information to make site navigation and product recommendations, and to help redesign our site in order to make your experience on our site more efficient and enjoyable. We may also use this information to better personalize the content, banner ads, and promotions that you and other users will see. This helps National Interop deliver you the content you want, in order for you to make better purchasing decisions.

You also have choices with respect to cookies. By modifying your browser preferences, you have the choice to accept all cookies, to be notified when a cookie is set, or to reject all cookies. If you choose to reject all cookies you will be unable to use those services or engage in activities that require the placement of cookies.

Who is collecting the information?

When you are on a National Interop site and are asked for personal information, you are sharing that information with National Interop, Inc., its subsidiaries and related companies. National Interop may also contract with third party companies to perform services for National Interop on its Web site that require these companies to collect personal information (e.g. hosting a whitepaper download site, promotion or survey, or selling software downloads). The National Interop Web site may also contain various links to third-party Web sites. These sites may provide additional information, goods, services and/or promotions. These sites are owned and operated independently of National Interop, and have their own separate privacy and data collection practices. Any information you provide to these Web sites will be governed under the terms of their privacy policy, if any. National Interop has no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the independent actions or policies of these independent sites, and is not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such sites.

How is my information used?

National Interop's primary goal in collecting personal information is to facilitate marketing and sales programs that service our customers and prospective customers. This information may also be used to provide you with a customized experience on our site, which includes interactive communications, and other services.

The National Interop site may also contain optional surveys and questionnaires asking for information, as well as several opportunities for visitors to ask questions. We use the information you provide to help us design and build better products, to customize your shopping experience, and to provide advice and purchase recommendations. Taking part in any of these segments is always optional.

We also use the information we collect to help target valuable marketing and advertising offers. This kind of advertising may be done with banner ads as well as promotional e-mails sent by National Interop, or by third parties under contract with National Interop. National Interop may also match user information with third party data to help us better understand our customers. This means National Interop may combine the personal information you provide us with information available from other sources, including offline sources, to market new products or services we think may be of interest to you.

Finally, National Interop from time to time does research on our users' demographics, interests, and behavior based on the information provided to us when requesting marketing information, sales contact, downloads of white papers, during a promotion, from surveys and from the data collected during the survey process. We do this to better understand and serve our users. This research is compiled and analyzed individually, and on an aggregated basis. National Interop may share this aggregated data with our business partners.

With whom does National Interop share my information?

Except as outlined in this policy or on our Web site, National Interop never provides your personal information to third parties without your consent.

National Interop may also share your personal information with third-party business partners so that they may provide services to National Interop that are consistent with the terms of this Privacy Policy, and this Web site (e.g. database management, sending targeted e-mails, software sales, and conducting sweepstakes and other promotions on behalf of National Interop). National Interop takes great pride in utilizing only reputable business partners. National Interop may also, on occasion, provide personally identifiable information to third-party businesses as part of a specific product, service, or promotion.

National Interop may also disclose personal information in special cases when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating this site's Terms of Use or may be violating National Interop's or other's rights or causing injury to or interference with National Interop's or other's property. National Interop may also disclose or access personal information when we believe in good faith that the law requires it.

National Interop may also disclose aggregated user statistics in order to describe our Web site to prospective business partners, advertisers, and other third parties, and for other lawful purposes.

What choices do I have regarding collection, use and distribution of my information?

National Interop or its business partners may, from time to time, send you e-mail or direct mail regarding our products and services. If you do not want to receive such information, simply tell us when you give us your personal information, or follow the directions contained on it to remove your name from our mailing list.

On certain types of National Interop promotions, we will ask for your e-mail address in order to contact you in the event you have won a prize. When you participate in these types of promotions, you may receive promotion-related e-mail. Occasionally these promotion-related e-mail messages may include targeted advertisements. If you do not wish to receive such advertisements, you can choose not to participate in such promotions or contests.

If you ever have questions regarding an e-mail you receive from National Interop or one our business partners, or want to be removed from a mailing list, please contact us at privacy@nationalinterop.com.

How can I correct or change my personal information?

If you would like to review, correct or change any personal information you have provided, or remove your name from our mailing list, please e-mail us at privacy@nationalinterop.com. If you have established a "user profile" on a National Interop Web site, you may change the information you provided at anytime by visiting that portion of the Web site and resubmitting your information.

What about my child's privacy?

This site is intended for use by persons over the age of 13. National Interop does not seek to collect information about children under the age of 13. No information should be submitted to or posted on this Web site by users under 13 years of age. If a child under the age of 13 submits personal information to this Web site, we delete the information as soon as we discover it and do not use it for any other purpose. National Interop encourages parents to take an active role in their children's use of the Internet, and to inform them of the potential dangers of providing information about themselves over the Internet.

Additional Information. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to privacy@nationalinterop.com. You may also contact us by U.S. mail at:

National Interop, Inc. 200 West Mercer Street, Suite E-207, Seattle, WA 98119.