Search Results for: meetings

Skills 360 – Top 10 Business English Skills (1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication, ESL Podcast / July 20, 2019

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Welcome back to Business English Skills 360 for today’s lesson on the business English skills everyone needs in order to be successful.

As any guru worth his weight in salt will tell you, business is all about relationships. That means connecting with new people, and maintaining good relations with people in your existing network. And one of the ways we do this is through small talk.

We call it small talk because it’s not about big important business topics. It’s about things like the weekend, the weather, sports, or family. Making small talk in English allows us to connect with people, find out more about them, and set a mood. This kind of conversation involves a back and forth of simple comments, questions, and answers. You need to show interest in the other person, but also reveal a bit about yourself. And it’s important to stick to topics that are common to both people.

Once you’ve broken the ice with small talk, then you can move on to bigger topics. And that’s where you bring in the skill of expressing opinions in English. Exactly how you do that depends on the situation. If you’re in a meeting and want to add your perspective, you might just introduce it with an expression like the way I see things or as far as I’m concerned.

But if you’re making a suggestion or pitching an idea, there are a couple of ways to go about it. You might do it carefully with words like perhaps or maybe or we could. Or, if you want to state something more confidently, you can use stronger words like have to or should. The important thing here is that you assess the situation and adapt your language accordingly.

After all, English conversation isn’t just about speaking; it’s also about listening, and that leads me to asking questions. I don’t just mean yes or no questions. I mean substantive questions that show that you’re listening and engaged. This also includes discerning and sincere questions about people’s ideas. This is a big part of being an active listener, which means listening to understand, not just listening to respond.

Of course, being a good listener doesn’t mean being a yes-man. Participating in a meeting or negotiations in English requires the ability to reject ideas. And that’s not as simple as saying no or I disagree. Most situations require a more nuanced or careful approach.

But be careful with this kind of softening language. If you’re in a position to say no or reject something, be clear about it. You can still be diplomatic without waffling. To do that, you can comment on the positive aspects of the idea, or the intention behind them, before saying no.

Rejecting ideas effectively is one aspect of being decisive and getting results. And that brings me to one last skill I want to mention today: getting people to take action. You’ve probably been in an English meeting where there was a lot of great discussion, but no real action points. So you need to learn how to delegate effectively.

Alright, so we’ve looked at five essential business English skills. Let’s do a quick recap: you need to know how to make small talk, express opinions, and ask good questions. At the same time, you need to be able to reject ideas and get action from people.

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BEP 338 – Teleconference English: Participating in Online Meetings

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, Popular Lessons, Teleconference English / March 12, 2019

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on participating in online meetings and teleconference calls in English.

It’s hard to overstate just how important the phone and laptop are to 21st century business. Can you imagine your work life without these tools? Probably not. If you’re like most people, the majority of your English work conversations happen with the help of technology. And this includes meetings. More often than not, people don’t get together in person, but virtually.

But when you can’t see the people in a meeting, it’s suddenly more difficult to get your voice heard. You can’t lean forward or raise your hand to show you want to speak. Instead, you need to find verbal ways of jumping into the conversation. In many cases, this also means identifying yourself so others know who is talking.

In an online meeting in English, you have to be very clear about what you’re talking about. That might mean skipping back to a comment from earlier in the conversation. And you have to be clear who you’re talking to, by directing a comment at a specific individual. And finally, because technology never seems to be perfectly reliable, you might find yourself apologizing for technical difficulties.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a manager named Gabi leading a teleconference with salespeople from across the U.S. They’re having an online meeting to plan a sales conference. The participants will use different strategies to participate effectively.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Heather apologize during the meeting?
2. Why does Manuel say “Manuel here in KC” at the start of a comment?
3. When Heather rejoins the conversation, what earlier topic does she want to talk about again?

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BEP 337 – Teleconference English: Running Online Meetings

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, Teleconference English / March 2, 2019

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on teleconferences and running online meetings and conference calls in English.

With today’s technology, people don’t have to be in the same room to have a meeting. We can connect with people around the world by phone or video chat apps like Skype. Amazing, isn’t it? Until it suddenly isn’t amazing, because people don’t know who’s saying what, others are having technical difficulties, and people are leaving and joining the meeting without anyone knowing.

A good conference call requires a good facilitator. Someone to make sure everyone knows who’s in the meeting and gives everyone the chance to speak. That means facilitating introductions at the start of the meeting and encouraging quiet people to share their ideas. After all, it’s pretty easy to hide or be ignored during an online meeting.

Sometimes there are technical problems that can get the meeting off track. At those times, it’s best to ask someone else to try to solve the problem so you can continue running the meeting. And just like any meeting, the facilitator should be encouraging input from everyone, including those who join late. It’s your job to integrate those latecomers into the meeting so they can participate too.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear an English teleconference led by Gabi. People from across the U.S. are joining the call to plan their company’s upcoming sales conference.

Listening Questions

1. What does Gabi ask people to include in their short self-introduction?
2. What problem does Gabi ask someone to help solve?
3. What does Gabi do when someone joins the meeting late?

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BEP 328 – Project Management English 8: Negotiating Solutions

Business English, Negotiating, Project Management / September 1, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on negotiating solutions during a project.

Wouldn’t it be nice if every project went exactly as planned? But that’s simply not realistic. Projects are just as diverse as the people involved. And every project runs into hurdles, challenges, or even major breakdowns. Good planning can help avoid some of these issues, but it’s more than likely that you’ll need to use your problem-solving skills at some point.

Some of these problems might be with your project team. But others could involve the client. In many cases, this means something comes up mid-project that neither of you anticipated. Lack of information, timeline issues, scope changes – there are a thousand different issues that might come up that will test your project management skills.

Solving these kinds of problems will require more than just basic project management English. For starters, you may need to explain different options to the client. But you’ll need to be careful to avoid liability when you can, and you might also need to resist committing to a timeline. These are important aspects of English for negotiating a solution.

And that word “solution” is the key. Your goal is to get to a solution that you can both agree to so that the project can still meet its original goals. And just like in any negotiation, that will probably involve proposing a compromise. Of course, agreements should be put in writing, so you’ll have to document any solutions you agree on.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Jill, a project manager with a software developer. They’ve been building a new system for a logistics company. Jill is talking with the Liam, the IT manager for the client, about a problem that has come up near the end of their project. Jill needs to negotiate a good solution to the problem.

Listening Questions

1. What are the options Jill lays out at the start of the meeting?
2. When Liam asks about how long it will take, how does Jill respond?
3. What is the compromise solution that Jill suggests?

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BEP 327 – Expressing Opinions in English

Business English, English for Meetings, Functions / July 14, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on expressing opinions in English.

Imagine you’re in a difficult meeting where everyone is disagreeing. Tension is high. And the boss turns to you and says “so what do you think?” In this situation, you need to express your opinion. But giving an opinion isn’t always easy, as you surely know. You’ve got to say it the right way.

But the right way has changed a bit. Ten to fifteen years ago business meetings were often quite formal. But many business English meetings today tend to be more informal. And you can see this change in the different ways of expressing your opinion in English. Sometimes we need to be cautious, while at other times we might want to be more direct or stronger. And there’s still a difference between giving opinions in a group setting and speaking informally.

When we want to be informal, we are often more direct. We say exactly what we think. But when we’re being formal or cautious, we tend to add words and expressions to soften our opinions. We also use words like “might” and “could” instead of “must” and “should.” Overall, we try not to sound too strong or direct.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between Kerry, Nick, Gregory, and Lola. Their company hired a freelance writer to do some work, but the writer hasn’t communicated with them lately. Kerry is asking the group for their opinions about what they should do.

Listening Questions

1. How does Kerry ask Vincent for his opinion near the start of the meeting?
2. What expression does Gregory use to introduce his strong opinion?
3. What is one expression that Lola uses to make her opinion careful or cautious?

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Skills 360 – Leading Group Decision-Making Meetings (2)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication, English for Meetings / May 26, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Skills 360 for today’s lesson on how to lead a group meeting to make a decision.

If you’re leading a group meeting to make a decision, you should expect a few obstacles along the way.

For one, people can get a bit personal and attack the person, as opposed to the idea. Call people out for personal attacks, and keep the discussion focused on ideas, not personality conflict. This is part of your role as the meeting facilitator. You’re supposed to encourage people to listen, prevent interruption, and generally make sure people feel respected and heard. As soon as people feel attacked personally, they’ll shut up.

Another thing you need to shut down is any off topic conversation. People do this without even realizing it. They hear something, it reminds them of something else, they start talking about it and soon enough the conversation has gone way off topic. Your job is to steer the conversation back. For people who love to hear themselves talk and go on and on, find an appropriate moment to jump in and provide a summary of their idea.

Another obstacle in a decision-making meeting is what we call “groupthink.” Groupthink is when people just follow along with the ideas being discussed, without thinking for themselves. To deal with groupthink, encourage creative thinking from the get-go. One thing you might try is having people write down their ideas individually before sharing them with the group. After having people write down their own ideas, go around the table and give each person a chance to speak. The more you leave it to the really vocal people, the more susceptible the meeting will be to groupthink.

Besides groupthink, another obstacle you may face is time. So watch the time carefully. And when you’re down to 25%, remind people. Don’t be afraid to push them a bit. In most cases, people are more willing to compromise than to drag an issue out longer than necessary. But if the group really can’t come to a good decision, or if people really can’t agree, or if there’s just more information needed, then consider other options. For one, you might table the decision. A delayed decision is often better than a bad decision. Or, you might assign a smaller group to make the decision.

Regardless, what you’re shooting for is the best possible decision. And as we’ve discussed, there are many possible obstacles to making a good decision within the time you’ve got. But if you play it right, if you manage the people well, and if you encourage good ideas, and new ideas, you should be able to come to a good group decision.

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Skills 360 – Leading Group Decision-Making Meetings (1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication, English for Meetings / May 19, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Skills 360 for today’s lesson on Business English communication skills for leading a group to a decision.

In fact, it might be better to say we’re talking about how to lead groups to good decisions. After all, any meeting chairperson can push for a quick decision, or call a vote before matters have been fully discussed. But that’s not the kind of leadership I’m talking about. And that doesn’t necessarily produce good decisions. A good decision is one that people buy into, and one that has a strong rationale behind it.

So how can we go about leading a group to a decision? Well, right at the start of the meeting, you need to set the stage for a good discussion, and a good decision. Firstly, you need to be very clear about the purpose. If you’re meeting to make a decision, make sure everyone knows it.

It’s also a good idea to have a decision-making process for the meeting. And that process typically goes like this: start with information-sharing, then run through or brainstorm different options, then evaluate those options through discussion, and finally make a decision. Notice that generating ideas and evaluating ideas are separate steps. That helps prevent people feeling criticized or getting defensive.

Within this process, leading group decisions is all about facilitating good discussion. And the magic of good facilitation is making everyone in the room feel listened to and emotionally validated. Overall, you need to make sure that everyone has had a chance to speak and express themselves. Sometimes this means calling on people directly. Or it might simply mean staying attuned to how those weaker voices attempt to join the discussion.

By being clear about purpose upfront, following a basic decision-making process, and using your meetings English and facilitation skills, you can come to a good decision. And remember, a good decision is one that people buy into and that has a good rationale to support it.

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Privacy Policy (GDPR)

May 15, 2018

GDPR Privacy Policy (for users in EU)

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a) Personal data

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Business English Pod Ltd.
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During the registration for the newsletter, we also store the IP address of the computer system assigned by the Internet service provider (ISP) and used by the data subject at the time of the registration, as well as the date and time of the registration. The collection of this data is necessary in order to understand the (possible) misuse of the e-mail address of a data subject at a later date, and it therefore serves the aim of the legal protection of the controller.

The personal data collected as part of a registration for the newsletter will only be used to send our newsletter. In addition, subscribers to the newsletter may be informed by e-mail, as long as this is necessary for the operation of the newsletter service or a registration in question, as this could be the case in the event of modifications to the newsletter offer, or in the event of a change in technical circumstances. There will be no transfer of personal data collected by the newsletter service to third parties. The subscription to our newsletter may be terminated by the data subject at any time. The consent to the storage of personal data, which the data subject has given for shipping the newsletter, may be revoked at any time. For the purpose of revocation of consent, a corresponding link is found in each newsletter. It is also possible to unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time directly on the website of the controller, or to communicate this to the controller in a different way.

9. Newsletter-Tracking

The newsletter of the Business English Pod Ltd. contains so-called tracking pixels. A tracking pixel is a miniature graphic embedded in such e-mails, which are sent in HTML format to enable log file recording and analysis. This allows a statistical analysis of the success or failure of online marketing campaigns. Based on the embedded tracking pixel, the Business English Pod Ltd. may see if and when an e-mail was opened by a data subject, and which links in the e-mail were called up by data subjects.

Such personal data collected in the tracking pixels contained in the newsletters are stored and analyzed by the controller in order to optimize the shipping of the newsletter, as well as to adapt the content of future newsletters even better to the interests of the data subject. These personal data will not be passed on to third parties. Data subjects are at any time entitled to revoke the respective separate declaration of consent issued by means of the double-opt-in procedure. After a revocation, these personal data will be deleted by the controller. The Business English Pod Ltd. automatically regards a withdrawal from the receipt of the newsletter as a revocation.

10. Contact possibility via the website

The website of the Business English Pod Ltd. contains information that enables a quick electronic contact to our enterprise, as well as direct communication with us, which also includes a general address of the so-called electronic mail (e-mail address). If a data subject contacts the controller by e-mail or via a contact form, the personal data transmitted by the data subject are automatically stored. Such personal data transmitted on a voluntary basis by a data subject to the data controller are stored for the purpose of processing or contacting the data subject. There is no transfer of this personal data to third parties.

11. Routine erasure and blocking of personal data

The data controller shall process and store the personal data of the data subject only for the period necessary to achieve the purpose of storage, or as far as this is granted by the European legislator or other legislators in laws or regulations to which the controller is subject to.

If the storage purpose is not applicable, or if a storage period prescribed by the European legislator or another competent legislator expires, the personal data are routinely blocked or erased in accordance with legal requirements.

12. Rights of the data subject

a) Right of confirmation

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller the confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning him or her are being processed. If a data subject wishes to avail himself of this right of confirmation, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller.

b) Right of access

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller free information about his or her personal data stored at any time and a copy of this information. Furthermore, the European directives and regulations grant the data subject access to the following information:

the purposes of the processing;
the categories of personal data concerned;
the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organisations;
where possible, the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, or, if not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
the existence of the right to request from the controller rectification or erasure of personal data, or restriction of processing of personal data concerning the data subject, or to object to such processing;
the existence of the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
where the personal data are not collected from the data subject, any available information as to their source;
the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, referred to in Article 22(1) and (4) of the GDPR and, at least in those cases, meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject.
Furthermore, the data subject shall have a right to obtain information as to whether personal data are transferred to a third country or to an international organisation. Where this is the case, the data subject shall have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards relating to the transfer.

If a data subject wishes to avail himself of this right of access, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller.

c) Right to rectification

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning him or her. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, the data subject shall have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement.

If a data subject wishes to exercise this right to rectification, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller.

d) Right to erasure (Right to be forgotten)

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay, and the controller shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies, as long as the processing is not necessary:

The personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
The data subject withdraws consent to which the processing is based according to point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, or point (a) of Article 9(2) of the GDPR, and where there is no other legal ground for the processing.
The data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2) of the GDPR.
The personal data have been unlawfully processed.
The personal data must be erased for compliance with a legal obligation in Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject.
The personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1) of the GDPR.
If one of the aforementioned reasons applies, and a data subject wishes to request the erasure of personal data stored by the Business English Pod Ltd., he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller. An employee of Business English Pod Ltd. shall promptly ensure that the erasure request is complied with immediately.

Where the controller has made personal data public and is obliged pursuant to Article 17(1) to erase the personal data, the controller, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform other controllers processing the personal data that the data subject has requested erasure by such controllers of any links to, or copy or replication of, those personal data, as far as processing is not required. An employees of the Business English Pod Ltd. will arrange the necessary measures in individual cases.

e) Right of restriction of processing

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller restriction of processing where one of the following applies:

The accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data.
The processing is unlawful and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and requests instead the restriction of their use instead.
The controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by the data subject for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
The data subject has objected to processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR pending the verification whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override those of the data subject.
If one of the aforementioned conditions is met, and a data subject wishes to request the restriction of the processing of personal data stored by the Business English Pod Ltd., he or she may at any time contact any employee of the controller. The employee of the Business English Pod Ltd. will arrange the restriction of the processing.

f) Right to data portability

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator, to receive the personal data concerning him or her, which was provided to a controller, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. He or she shall have the right to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to which the personal data have been provided, as long as the processing is based on consent pursuant to point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR or point (a) of Article 9(2) of the GDPR, or on a contract pursuant to point (b) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, and the processing is carried out by automated means, as long as the processing is not necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

Furthermore, in exercising his or her right to data portability pursuant to Article 20(1) of the GDPR, the data subject shall have the right to have personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another, where technically feasible and when doing so does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

In order to assert the right to data portability, the data subject may at any time contact any employee of the Business English Pod Ltd..

g) Right to object

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to object, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, at any time, to processing of personal data concerning him or her, which is based on point (e) or (f) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions.

The Business English Pod Ltd. shall no longer process the personal data in the event of the objection, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

If the Business English Pod Ltd. processes personal data for direct marketing purposes, the data subject shall have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning him or her for such marketing. This applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If the data subject objects to the Business English Pod Ltd. to the processing for direct marketing purposes, the Business English Pod Ltd. will no longer process the personal data for these purposes.

In addition, the data subject has the right, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, to object to processing of personal data concerning him or her by the Business English Pod Ltd. for scientific or historical research purposes, or for statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.

In order to exercise the right to object, the data subject may contact any employee of the Business English Pod Ltd.. In addition, the data subject is free in the context of the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, to use his or her right to object by automated means using technical specifications.

h) Automated individual decision-making, including profiling

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her, or similarly significantly affects him or her, as long as the decision (1) is not is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, or (2) is not authorised by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject and which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, or (3) is not based on the data subject’s explicit consent.

If the decision (1) is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, or (2) it is based on the data subject’s explicit consent, the Business English Pod Ltd. shall implement suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view and contest the decision.

If the data subject wishes to exercise the rights concerning automated individual decision-making, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the Business English Pod Ltd..

i) Right to withdraw data protection consent

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to withdraw his or her consent to processing of his or her personal data at any time.

If the data subject wishes to exercise the right to withdraw the consent, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the Business English Pod Ltd..

13. Data protection for applications and the application procedures

The data controller shall collect and process the personal data of applicants for the purpose of the processing of the application procedure. The processing may also be carried out electronically. This is the case, in particular, if an applicant submits corresponding application documents by e-mail or by means of a web form on the website to the controller. If the data controller concludes an employment contract with an applicant, the submitted data will be stored for the purpose of processing the employment relationship in compliance with legal requirements. If no employment contract is concluded with the applicant by the controller, the application documents shall be automatically erased two months after notification of the refusal decision, provided that no other legitimate interests of the controller are opposed to the erasure. Other legitimate interest in this relation is, e.g. a burden of proof in a procedure under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG).

14. Data Protection provisions about the application and use of AddThis

On this website, the data controller has integrated components of the enterprise Social Warfare. AddThis is a so-called bookmarking provider. The service allows for simplified bookmarking of Internet pages via buttons. By clicking on the AddThis component with the mouse, or by clicking on it, a list of bookmarking and sharing services is displayed. AddThis is used on over 15 million websites, and the buttons are displayed, according to the information of the operating enterprise, over 20 billion times a year.

The operating company of AddThis is AddThis, Inc. 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 300, Vienna, VA 22182, United States.

By calling up one of the individual pages of the website, which is operated by the controller, and on which an AddThis component has been integrated, the Internet browser of the data subject is automatically prompted by the respective AddThis component to download data from the website www.addthis.com. Within the framework of this technical procedure, AddThis is informed of the visit and the specific individual page of this website that was used by the data subject with the help of information technology. In addition, AddThis is informed about the IP address of the computer system assigned by the Internet service provider (ISP) and used by the data subject, the browser type and language, the web page accessed before our website, the date and the time of the visit to our website. AddThis uses this data to create anonymous user profiles. The data and information transmitted to AddThis in this way will enable the enterprise AddThis, as well as affiliates or their partner-enterprises, to contact visitors of the web pages of the controller with personalized and interest-based advertising.

AddThis displays personalized and interest-based advertising on the basis of a cookie set by the enterprise. This cookie analyzes the individual surfing behavior of the computer system used by the data subject. The cookie saves the computer-based outgoing visits to Internet pages.

The data subject may, at any time, prevent the setting of cookies through our website by means of a corresponding setting of the Internet browser used, and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such a setting of the Internet browser used would also prevent AddThis from setting a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. Cookies may also be deleted by AddThis at any time via an Internet browser or other software programs.

The data subject also has the possibility of objecting permanently to the processing of personal data by AddThis. For this purpose, the data subject must click on the opt-out button under the link http://www.addthis.com/privacy/opt-out, which sets an opt-out cookie. The opt-out cookie used for this purpose is placed on the information technology system used by the data subject. If the data subject deletes the cookies from his system, then the data subject must call up the link again and set a new opt-out cookie.

With the setting of the opt-out cookie, however, the possibility exists that the websites of the controller are not fully usable anymore by the data subject.

The applicable data protection provisions of AddThis may be accessed under http://www.addthis.com/privacy/privacy-policy.

15. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Facebook

On this website, the controller has integrated components of the enterprise Facebook. Facebook is a social network.

A social network is a place for social meetings on the Internet, an online community, which usually allows users to communicate with each other and interact in a virtual space. A social network may serve as a platform for the exchange of opinions and experiences, or enable the Internet community to provide personal or business-related information. Facebook allows social network users to include the creation of private profiles, upload photos, and network through friend requests.

The operating company of Facebook is Facebook, Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, United States. If a person lives outside of the United States or Canada, the controller is the Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.

With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet website, which is operated by the controller and into which a Facebook component (Facebook plug-ins) was integrated, the web browser on the information technology system of the data subject is automatically prompted to download display of the corresponding Facebook component from Facebook through the Facebook component. An overview of all the Facebook Plug-ins may be accessed under https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. During the course of this technical procedure, Facebook is made aware of what specific sub-site of our website was visited by the data subject.

If the data subject is logged in at the same time on Facebook, Facebook detects with every call-up to our website by the data subject””and for the entire duration of their stay on our Internet site””which specific sub-site of our Internet page was visited by the data subject. This information is collected through the Facebook component and associated with the respective Facebook account of the data subject. If the data subject clicks on one of the Facebook buttons integrated into our website, e.g. the “Like” button, or if the data subject submits a comment, then Facebook matches this information with the personal Facebook user account of the data subject and stores the personal data.

Facebook always receives, through the Facebook component, information about a visit to our website by the data subject, whenever the data subject is logged in at the same time on Facebook during the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the data subject clicks on the Facebook component or not. If such a transmission of information to Facebook is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their Facebook account before a call-up to our website is made.

The data protection guideline published by Facebook, which is available at https://facebook.com/about/privacy/, provides information about the collection, processing and use of personal data by Facebook. In addition, it is explained there what setting options Facebook offers to protect the privacy of the data subject. In addition, different configuration options are made available to allow the elimination of data transmission to Facebook. These applications may be used by the data subject to eliminate a data transmission to Facebook.

16. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Google AdSense

On this website, the controller has integrated Google AdSense. Google AdSense is an online service which allows the placement of advertising on third-party sites. Google AdSense is based on an algorithm that selects advertisements displayed on third-party sites to match with the content of the respective third-party site. Google AdSense allows an interest-based targeting of the Internet user, which is implemented by means of generating individual user profiles.

The operating company of Google’s AdSense component is Alphabet Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, United States.

The purpose of Google’s AdSense component is the integration of advertisements on our website. Google AdSense places a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. The definition of cookies is explained above. With the setting of the cookie, Alphabet Inc. is enabled to analyze the use of our website. With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and into which a Google AdSense component is integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject will automatically submit data through the Google AdSense component for the purpose of online advertising and the settlement of commissions to Alphabet Inc. During the course of this technical procedure, the enterprise Alphabet Inc. gains knowledge of personal data, such as the IP address of the data subject, which serves Alphabet Inc., inter alia, to understand the origin of visitors and clicks and subsequently create commission settlements.

The data subject may, as stated above, prevent the setting of cookies through our website at any time by means of a corresponding adjustment of the web browser used and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such an adjustment to the Internet browser used would also prevent Alphabet Inc. from setting a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. Additionally, cookies already in use by Alphabet Inc. may be deleted at any time via a web browser or other software programs.

Furthermore, Google AdSense also uses so-called tracking pixels. A tracking pixel is a miniature graphic that is embedded in web pages to enable a log file recording and a log file analysis through which a statistical analysis may be performed. Based on the embedded tracking pixels, Alphabet Inc. is able to determine if and when a website was opened by a data subject, and which links were clicked on by the data subject. Tracking pixels serve, inter alia, to analyze the flow of visitors on a website.

Through Google AdSense, personal data and information””which also includes the IP address, and is necessary for the collection and accounting of the displayed advertisements””is transmitted to Alphabet Inc. in the United States of America. These personal data will be stored and processed in the United States of America. The Alphabet Inc. may disclose the collected personal data through this technical procedure to third parties.

Google AdSense is further explained under the following link https://www.google.com/intl/en/adsense/start/.

17. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Google Analytics (with anonymization function)

On this website, the controller has integrated the component of Google Analytics (with the anonymizer function). Google Analytics is a web analytics service. Web analytics is the collection, gathering, and analysis of data about the behavior of visitors to websites. A web analysis service collects, inter alia, data about the website from which a person has come (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages were visited, or how often and for what duration a sub-page was viewed. Web analytics are mainly used for the optimization of a website and in order to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of Internet advertising.

The operator of the Google Analytics component is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, United States.

For the web analytics through Google Analytics the controller uses the application “_gat. _anonymizeIp”. By means of this application the IP address of the Internet connection of the data subject is abridged by Google and anonymised when accessing our websites from a Member State of the European Union or another Contracting State to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

The purpose of the Google Analytics component is to analyze the traffic on our website. Google uses the collected data and information, inter alia, to evaluate the use of our website and to provide online reports, which show the activities on our websites, and to provide other services concerning the use of our Internet site for us.

Google Analytics places a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. The definition of cookies is explained above. With the setting of the cookie, Google is enabled to analyze the use of our website. With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and into which a Google Analytics component was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject will automatically submit data through the Google Analytics component for the purpose of online advertising and the settlement of commissions to Google. During the course of this technical procedure, the enterprise Google gains knowledge of personal information, such as the IP address of the data subject, which serves Google, inter alia, to understand the origin of visitors and clicks, and subsequently create commission settlements.

The cookie is used to store personal information, such as the access time, the location from which the access was made, and the frequency of visits of our website by the data subject. With each visit to our Internet site, such personal data, including the IP address of the Internet access used by the data subject, will be transmitted to Google in the United States of America. These personal data are stored by Google in the United States of America. Google may pass these personal data collected through the technical procedure to third parties.

The data subject may, as stated above, prevent the setting of cookies through our website at any time by means of a corresponding adjustment of the web browser used and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such an adjustment to the Internet browser used would also prevent Google Analytics from setting a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. In addition, cookies already in use by Google Analytics may be deleted at any time via a web browser or other software programs.

In addition, the data subject has the possibility of objecting to a collection of data that are generated by Google Analytics, which is related to the use of this website, as well as the processing of this data by Google and the chance to preclude any such. For this purpose, the data subject must download a browser add-on under the link https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and install it. This browser add-on tells Google Analytics through a JavaScript, that any data and information about the visits of Internet pages may not be transmitted to Google Analytics. The installation of the browser add-ons is considered an objection by Google. If the information technology system of the data subject is later deleted, formatted, or newly installed, then the data subject must reinstall the browser add-ons to disable Google Analytics. If the browser add-on was uninstalled by the data subject or any other person who is attributable to their sphere of competence, or is disabled, it is possible to execute the reinstallation or reactivation of the browser add-ons.

Further information and the applicable data protection provisions of Google may be retrieved under https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/ and under http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/us.html. Google Analytics is further explained under the following Link https://www.google.com/analytics/.

18. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Clicky (with opt-out function)

On this website, the controller has integrated the component of Clikcy analytics. We use Clicky Web Analytics to log and analyze the traffic to our web site. You may review Clicky’s privacy policy here (https://clicky.com/terms/privacy). We log “personal data” to Clicky as follows, for the stated legitimate purposes. A “Unique ID” tracking cookie to identify unique visitors, your IP address for security and fraud prevention, and your username to help us to analyze visitor behavior and assist with customer service needs. Web analytics are mainly used for the optimization of a website and in order to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of Internet advertising.

The operator of the Clikcy component is Roxr Software Ltd, United States.

The purpose of the Clikcy analytics component is to analyze the traffic on our website. Clikcy uses the collected data and information, inter alia, to evaluate the use of our website and to provide online reports, which show the activities on our websites, and to provide other services concerning the use of our Internet site for us.

Clikcy places a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. The definition of cookies is explained above. With the setting of the cookie, Clikcy is enabled to analyze the use of our website. With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and into which a Clikcy Analytics component was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject will automatically submit data through the Clikcy Analytics component.

The cookie is used to store personal information, such as the access time, the location from which the access was made, and the frequency of visits of our website by the data subject. With each visit to our Internet site, such personal data, including the IP address of the Internet access used by the data subject, will be transmitted to Clikcy in the United States of America. These personal data are stored by Clikcy in the United States of America.

The data subject may, as stated above, prevent the setting of cookies through our website at any time by means of a corresponding adjustment of the web browser used and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such an adjustment to the Internet browser used would also prevent Clikcy Analytics from setting a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. In addition, cookies already in use by Clikcy Analytics may be deleted at any time via a web browser or other software programs.

In addition, the data subject has the possibility of objecting to a collection of data that are generated by Clikcy Analytics, which is related to the use of this website, as well as the processing of this data by Clikcy and the chance to preclude any such. For this purpose, the data subject must opt-out on this page: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Further information and the applicable data protection provisions of Clikcy may be retrieved under https://clicky.com/terms/privacy and under https://clicky.com/terms/dpa.

19. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Google Remarketing

On this website, the controller has integrated Google Remarketing services. Google Remarketing is a feature of Google AdWords, which allows an enterprise to display advertising to Internet users who have previously resided on the enterprise’s Internet site. The integration of Google Remarketing therefore allows an enterprise to create user-based advertising and thus shows relevant advertisements to interested Internet users.

The operating company of the Google Remarketing services is the Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, United States.

The purpose of Google Remarketing is the insertion of interest-relevant advertising. Google Remarketing allows us to display ads on the Google network or on other websites, which are based on individual needs and matched to the interests of Internet users.

Google Remarketing sets a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. The definition of cookies is explained above. With the setting of the cookie, Google enables a recognition of the visitor of our website if he calls up consecutive web pages, which are also a member of the Google advertising network. With each call-up to an Internet site on which the service has been integrated by Google Remarketing, the web browser of the data subject identifies automatically with Google. During the course of this technical procedure, Google receives personal information, such as the IP address or the surfing behaviour of the user, which Google uses, inter alia, for the insertion of interest relevant advertising.

The cookie is used to store personal information, e.g. the Internet pages visited by the data subject. Each time we visit our Internet pages, personal data, including the IP address of the Internet access used by the data subject, is transmitted to Google in the United States of America. These personal data are stored by Google in the United States of America. Google may pass these personal data collected through the technical procedure to third parties.

The data subject may, as stated above, prevent the setting of cookies through our website at any time by means of a corresponding adjustment of the web browser used and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such an adjustment to the Internet browser used would also prevent Google from setting a cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. In addition, cookies already in use by Google may be deleted at any time via a web browser or other software programs.

In addition, the data subject has the possibility of objecting to the interest-based advertising by Google. For this purpose, the data subject must call up the link to www.google.de/settings/ads and make the desired settings on each Internet browser used by the data subject.

Further information and the actual data protection provisions of Google may be retrieved under https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/.

20. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Google+

On this website, the controller has integrated the Google+ button as a component. Google+ is a so-called social network. A social network is a social meeting place on the Internet, an online community, which usually allows users to communicate with each other and interact in a virtual space. A social network may serve as a platform for the exchange of opinions and experiences, or enable the Internet community to provide personal or business-related information. Google+ allows users of the social network to include the creation of private profiles, upload photos and network through friend requests.

The operating company of Google+ is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, UNITED STATES.

With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this website, which is operated by the controller and on which a Google+ button has been integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject automatically downloads a display of the corresponding Google+ button of Google through the respective Google+ button component. During the course of this technical procedure, Google is made aware of what specific sub-page of our website was visited by the data subject. More detailed information about Google+ is available under https://developers.google.com/+/.

If the data subject is logged in at the same time to Google+, Google recognizes with each call-up to our website by the data subject and for the entire duration of his or her stay on our Internet site, which specific sub-pages of our Internet page were visited by the data subject. This information is collected through the Google+ button and Google matches this with the respective Google+ account associated with the data subject.

If the data subject clicks on the Google+ button integrated on our website and thus gives a Google+ 1 recommendation, then Google assigns this information to the personal Google+ user account of the data subject and stores the personal data. Google stores the Google+ 1 recommendation of the data subject, making it publicly available in accordance with the terms and conditions accepted by the data subject in this regard. Subsequently, a Google+ 1 recommendation given by the data subject on this website together with other personal data, such as the Google+ account name used by the data subject and the stored photo, is stored and processed on other Google services, such as search-engine results of the Google search engine, the Google account of the data subject or in other places, e.g. on Internet pages, or in relation to advertisements. Google is also able to link the visit to this website with other personal data stored on Google. Google further records this personal information with the purpose of improving or optimizing the various Google services.

Through the Google+ button, Google receives information that the data subject visited our website, if the data subject at the time of the call-up to our website is logged in to Google+. This occurs regardless of whether the data subject clicks or doesn’t click on the Google+ button.

If the data subject does not wish to transmit personal data to Google, he or she may prevent such transmission by logging out of his Google+ account before calling up our website.

Further information and the data protection provisions of Google may be retrieved under https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. More references from Google about the Google+ 1 button may be obtained under https://developers.google.com/+/web/buttons-policy.

21. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Google-AdWords

On this website, the controller has integrated Google AdWords. Google AdWords is a service for Internet advertising that allows the advertiser to place ads in Google search engine results and the Google advertising network. Google AdWords allows an advertiser to pre-define specific keywords with the help of which an ad on Google’s search results only then displayed, when the user utilizes the search engine to retrieve a keyword-relevant search result. In the Google Advertising Network, the ads are distributed on relevant web pages using an automatic algorithm, taking into account the previously defined keywords.

The operating company of Google AdWords is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, UNITED STATES.

The purpose of Google AdWords is the promotion of our website by the inclusion of relevant advertising on the websites of third parties and in the search engine results of the search engine Google and an insertion of third-party advertising on our website.

If a data subject reaches our website via a Google ad, a conversion cookie is filed on the information technology system of the data subject through Google. The definition of cookies is explained above. A conversion cookie loses its validity after 30 days and is not used to identify the data subject. If the cookie has not expired, the conversion cookie is used to check whether certain sub-pages, e.g, the shopping cart from an online shop system, were called up on our website. Through the conversion cookie, both Google and the controller can understand whether a person who reached an AdWords ad on our website generated sales, that is, executed or canceled a sale of goods.

The data and information collected through the use of the conversion cookie is used by Google to create visit statistics for our website. These visit statistics are used in order to determine the total number of users who have been served through AdWords ads to ascertain the success or failure of each AdWords ad and to optimize our AdWords ads in the future. Neither our company nor other Google AdWords advertisers receive information from Google that could identify the data subject.

The conversion cookie stores personal information, e.g. the Internet pages visited by the data subject. Each time we visit our Internet pages, personal data, including the IP address of the Internet access used by the data subject, is transmitted to Google in the United States of America. These personal data are stored by Google in the United States of America. Google may pass these personal data collected through the technical procedure to third parties.

The data subject may, at any time, prevent the setting of cookies by our website, as stated above, by means of a corresponding setting of the Internet browser used and thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Such a setting of the Internet browser used would also prevent Google from placing a conversion cookie on the information technology system of the data subject. In addition, a cookie set by Google AdWords may be deleted at any time via the Internet browser or other software programs.

The data subject has a possibility of objecting to the interest based advertisement of Google. Therefore, the data subject must access from each of the browsers in use the link www.google.de/settings/ads and set the desired settings.

Further information and the applicable data protection provisions of Google may be retrieved under https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/.

22. Data protection provisions about the application and use of LinkedIn

The controller has integrated components of the LinkedIn Corporation on this website. LinkedIn is a web-based social network that enables users with existing business contacts to connect and to make new business contacts. Over 400 million registered people in more than 200 countries use LinkedIn. Thus, LinkedIn is currently the largest platform for business contacts and one of the most visited websites in the world.

The operating company of LinkedIn is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court Mountain View, CA 94043, UNITED STATES. For privacy matters outside of the UNITED STATES LinkedIn Ireland, Privacy Policy Issues, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, is responsible.

With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and on which a LinkedIn component (LinkedIn plug-in) was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject is automatically prompted to the download of a display of the corresponding LinkedIn component of LinkedIn. Further information about the LinkedIn plug-in may be accessed under https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins. During the course of this technical procedure, LinkedIn gains knowledge of what specific sub-page of our website was visited by the data subject.

If the data subject is logged in at the same time on LinkedIn, LinkedIn detects with every call-up to our website by the data subject””and for the entire duration of their stay on our Internet site””which specific sub-page of our Internet page was visited by the data subject. This information is collected through the LinkedIn component and associated with the respective LinkedIn account of the data subject. If the data subject clicks on one of the LinkedIn buttons integrated on our website, then LinkedIn assigns this information to the personal LinkedIn user account of the data subject and stores the personal data.

LinkedIn receives information via the LinkedIn component that the data subject has visited our website, provided that the data subject is logged in at LinkedIn at the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on the LinkedIn button or not. If such a transmission of information to LinkedIn is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their LinkedIn account before a call-up to our website is made.

LinkedIn provides under https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls the possibility to unsubscribe from e-mail messages, SMS messages and targeted ads, as well as the ability to manage ad settings. LinkedIn also uses affiliates such as Eire, Google Analytics, BlueKai, DoubleClick, Nielsen, Comscore, Eloqua, and Lotame. The setting of such cookies may be denied under https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy. The applicable privacy policy for LinkedIn is available under https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy. The LinkedIn Cookie Policy is available under https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy.

23. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Pinterest

On this website, the controller has integrated components of Pinterest Inc. Pinterest is a so-called social network. A social network is an Internet social meeting place, an online community that allows users to communicate and interact with each other in a virtual space. A social network may serve as a platform for the exchange of opinions and experiences, or allow the Internet community to provide personal or company-related information. Pinterest enables the users of the social network to publish, inter alia, picture collections and individual pictures as well as descriptions on virtual pinboards (so-called pins), which can then be shared by other user’s (so-called re-pins) or commented on.

The operating company of Pinterest is Pinterest Inc., 808 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, UNITED STATES.

With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and on which a Pinterest component (Pinterest plug-in) was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject automatically prompted to download through the respective Pinterest component a display of the corresponding Pinterest component. Further information on Pinterest is available under https://pinterest.com/. During the course of this technical procedure, Pinterest gains knowledge of what specific sub-page of our website is visited by the data subject.

If the data subject is logged in at the same time on Pinterest, Pinterest detects with every call-up to our website by the data subject””and for the entire duration of their stay on our Internet site””which specific sub-page of our Internet page was visited by the data subject. This information is collected through the Pinterest component and associated with the respective Pinterest account of the data subject. If the data subject clicks on one of the Pinterest buttons, integrated on our website, then Pinterest assigns this information to the personal Pinterest user account of the data subject and stores the personal data.

Pinterest receives information via the Pinterest component that the data subject has visited our website, provided that the data subject is logged in at Pinterest at the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on the Pinterest component or not. If such a transmission of information to Pinterest is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their Pinterest account before a call-up to our website is made.

The data protection guideline published by Pinterest, which is available under https://about.pinterest.com/privacy-policy, provides information on the collection, processing and use of personal data by Pinterest.

24. Data protection provisions about the application and use of SlideShare

On this website, the controller has integrated SlideShare components. LinkedIn SlideShare as a file hosting service allows you to exchange and archive presentations and other documents, such as PDF files, videos, and webinars. The file hosting service allows users to upload media content in all popular formats, with the documents either publicly-accessible or private-labeled.

The operating company of SlideShare is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court Mountain View, CA 94043, United States. For privacy matters outside of the United States the LinkedIn Ireland, Privacy Policy Issues, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, is responsible.

LinkedIn SlideShare provides so-called embedded codes for the media content (e.g. presentations, PDF files, videos, photos, etc.) stored there. Embedded codes are program codes that are embedded in the Internet pages to display external content on their own website. Embedded codes allow content to be reproduced on its own website without storing it on its own server, possibly violating the right of reproduction of the respective author of the content. A further advantage of the use of an embedded code is that the respective operator of a website does not use its own storage space and the own server is thereby relieved. An embedded code may be integrated at any point on another website so that an external content may also be inserted within the own text. The purpose of using LinkedIn SlideShare is to relieve our server and to avoid copyright infringements, while at the same time using third-party content.

With each call-up to our Internet site, which is equipped with a SlideShare component (embedded code), this component prompts the browser that you are using to download the according embedded data from SlideShare. During the course of this technical procedure, LinkedIn gains knowledge of which specific sub-page of our website is visited by the data subject.

If the data subject is logged in on SlideShare at the same time, SlideShare recognizes with each call-up to our website by the data subject and for the entire duration of their stay on our Internet site which specific sub-page was visited by the data subject. This information is collected by SlideShare and assigned to the respective SlideShare account of the data subject through LinkedIn.

LinkedIn obtains information via the SlideShare component that the data subject has visited our website, provided that the data subject is logged in at SlideShare at the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on the embedded media data or not. If such a transmission of information to SlideShare is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their SlideShare account before a call-up to our website is made.

LinkedIn also uses affiliates such as Eire, Google Analytics, BlueKai, DoubleClick, Nielsen, Comscore, Eloqua, and Lotame. The setting of such cookies may be denied under https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy. The applicable data protection provisions for LinkedIn is available under https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

25. Data protection provisions about the application and use of Twitter

On this website, the controller has integrated components of Twitter. Twitter is a multilingual, publicly-accessible microblogging service on which users may publish and spread so-called ”˜tweets,’ e.g. short messages, which are limited to 280 characters. These short messages are available for everyone, including those who are not logged on to Twitter. The tweets are also displayed to so-called followers of the respective user. Followers are other Twitter users who follow a user’s tweets. Furthermore, Twitter allows you to address a wide audience via hashtags, links or retweets.

The operating company of Twitter is Twitter, Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, UNITED STATES.

With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and on which a Twitter component (Twitter button) was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject is automatically prompted to download a display of the corresponding Twitter component of Twitter. Further information about the Twitter buttons is available under https://about.twitter.com/de/resources/buttons. During the course of this technical procedure, Twitter gains knowledge of what specific sub-page of our website was visited by the data subject. The purpose of the integration of the Twitter component is a retransmission of the contents of this website to allow our users to introduce this web page to the digital world and increase our visitor numbers.

If the data subject is logged in at the same time on Twitter, Twitter detects with every call-up to our website by the data subject and for the entire duration of their stay on our Internet site which specific sub-page of our Internet page was visited by the data subject. This information is collected through the Twitter component and associated with the respective Twitter account of the data subject. If the data subject clicks on one of the Twitter buttons integrated on our website, then Twitter assigns this information to the personal Twitter user account of the data subject and stores the personal data.

Twitter receives information via the Twitter component that the data subject has visited our website, provided that the data subject is logged in on Twitter at the time of the call-up to our website. This occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on the Twitter component or not. If such a transmission of information to Twitter is not desirable for the data subject, then he or she may prevent this by logging off from their Twitter account before a call-up to our website is made.

The applicable data protection provisions of Twitter may be accessed under https://twitter.com/privacy?lang=en.

26. Data protection provisions about the application and use of YouTube

On this website, the controller has integrated components of YouTube. YouTube is an Internet video portal that enables video publishers to set video clips and other users free of charge, which also provides free viewing, review and commenting on them. YouTube allows you to publish all kinds of videos, so you can access both full movies and TV broadcasts, as well as music videos, trailers, and videos made by users via the Internet portal.

The operating company of YouTube is YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, UNITED STATES. The YouTube, LLC is a subsidiary of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, UNITED STATES.

With each call-up to one of the individual pages of this Internet site, which is operated by the controller and on which a YouTube component (YouTube video) was integrated, the Internet browser on the information technology system of the data subject is automatically prompted to download a display of the corresponding YouTube component. Further information about YouTube may be obtained under https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/en/. During the course of this technical procedure, YouTube and Google gain knowledge of what specific sub-page of our website was visited by the data subject.

If the data subject is logged in on YouTube, YouTube recognizes with each call-up to a sub-page that contains a YouTube video, which specific sub-page of our Internet site was visited by the data subject. This information is collected by YouTube and Google and assigned to the respective YouTube account of the data subject.

YouTube and Google will receive information through the YouTube component that the data subject has visited our website, if the data subject at the time of the call to our website is logged in on YouTube; this occurs regardless of whether the person clicks on a YouTube video or not. If such a transmission of this information to YouTube and Google is not desirable for the data subject, the delivery may be prevented if the data subject logs off from their own YouTube account before a call-up to our website is made.

YouTube’s data protection provisions, available at https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/, provide information about the collection, processing and use of personal data by YouTube and Google.

27. Payment Method: Data protection provisions about the use of PayPal as a payment processor

On this website, the controller has integrated components of PayPal. PayPal is an online payment service provider. Payments are processed via so-called PayPal accounts, which represent virtual private or business accounts. PayPal is also able to process virtual payments through credit cards when a user does not have a PayPal account. A PayPal account is managed via an e-mail address, which is why there are no classic account numbers. PayPal makes it possible to trigger online payments to third parties or to receive payments. PayPal also accepts trustee functions and offers buyer protection services.

The European operating company of PayPal is PayPal (Europe) S.Ã .r.l. & Cie. S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, 2449 Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

If the data subject chooses “PayPal” as the payment option in the online shop during the ordering process, we automatically transmit the data of the data subject to PayPal. By selecting this payment option, the data subject agrees to the transfer of personal data required for payment processing.

The personal data transmitted to PayPal is usually first name, last name, address, email address, IP address, telephone number, mobile phone number, or other data necessary for payment processing. The processing of the purchase contract also requires such personal data, which are in connection with the respective order.

The transmission of the data is aimed at payment processing and fraud prevention. The controller will transfer personal data to PayPal, in particular, if a legitimate interest in the transmission is given. The personal data exchanged between PayPal and the controller for the processing of the data will be transmitted by PayPal to economic credit agencies. This transmission is intended for identity and creditworthiness checks.

PayPal will, if necessary, pass on personal data to affiliates and service providers or subcontractors to the extent that this is necessary to fulfill contractual obligations or for data to be processed in the order.

The data subject has the possibility to revoke consent for the handling of personal data at any time from PayPal. A revocation shall not have any effect on personal data which must be processed, used or transmitted in accordance with (contractual) payment processing.

The applicable data protection provisions of PayPal may be retrieved under https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full.

28. Legal basis for the processing

Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR serves as the legal basis for processing operations for which we obtain consent for a specific processing purpose. If the processing of personal data is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, as is the case, for example, when processing operations are necessary for the supply of goods or to provide any other service, the processing is based on Article 6(1) lit. b GDPR. The same applies to such processing operations which are necessary for carrying out pre-contractual measures, for example in the case of inquiries concerning our products or services. Is our company subject to a legal obligation by which processing of personal data is required, such as for the fulfillment of tax obligations, the processing is based on Art. 6(1) lit. c GDPR. In rare cases, the processing of personal data may be necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person. This would be the case, for example, if a visitor were injured in our company and his name, age, health insurance data or other vital information would have to be passed on to a doctor, hospital or other third party. Then the processing would be based on Art. 6(1) lit. d GDPR. Finally, processing operations could be based on Article 6(1) lit. f GDPR. This legal basis is used for processing operations which are not covered by any of the abovementioned legal grounds, if processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by our company or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data. Such processing operations are particularly permissible because they have been specifically mentioned by the European legislator. He considered that a legitimate interest could be assumed if the data subject is a client of the controller (Recital 47 Sentence 2 GDPR).

29. The legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party

Where the processing of personal data is based on Article 6(1) lit. f GDPR our legitimate interest is to carry out our business in favor of the well-being of all our employees and the shareholders.

30. Period for which the personal data will be stored

The criteria used to determine the period of storage of personal data is the respective statutory retention period. After expiration of that period, the corresponding data is routinely deleted, as long as it is no longer necessary for the fulfillment of the contract or the initiation of a contract.

31. Provision of personal data as statutory or contractual requirement; Requirement necessary to enter into a contract; Obligation of the data subject to provide the personal data; possible consequences of failure to provide such data

We clarify that the provision of personal data is partly required by law (e.g. tax regulations) or can also result from contractual provisions (e.g. information on the contractual partner). Sometimes it may be necessary to conclude a contract that the data subject provides us with personal data, which must subsequently be processed by us. The data subject is, for example, obliged to provide us with personal data when our company signs a contract with him or her. The non-provision of the personal data would have the consequence that the contract with the data subject could not be concluded. Before personal data is provided by the data subject, the data subject must contact any employee. The employee clarifies to the data subject whether the provision of the personal data is required by law or contract or is necessary for the conclusion of the contract, whether there is an obligation to provide the personal data and the consequences of non-provision of the personal data.

32. Existence of automated decision-making

As a responsible company, we do not use automatic decision-making or profiling.

925 English Lesson 19 – How to Talk about Abilities

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video, Functions / April 15, 2018

YouTube video

In today’s 925 English video lesson, we’re going to learn how to talk about abilities in english.

There are lots of opportunities at work to talk about your abilities. And I don’t just mean job interviews. That’s an obvious one, but there’s also work planning, project meetings, and just discussing who should do what on a daily basis.

925 English is a course of video English lessons for beginners. With 925 English lessons you can learn business English phrases and expressions to use in work and business.

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BEP 32 B – English for Discussing Solutions to a Problem (2)

Business English, English for Meetings, Teleconference English / January 20, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on discussing solutions to a problem during a teleconference in English.

Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone just wants to complain about a problem? And maybe they criticize every solution that is suggested? Well, if that’s all you do, the problem will never be solved.

Discussing solutions is all about figuring out what might actually work. It’s about finding the best solution, even if it’s not the perfect solution. So you need to learn how to agree with people’s ideas, either strongly, or with conditions. In other words, you might agree but only if something else can happen.

If you’re leading a problem-solving meeting, you’ll likely need to highlight the best solution that comes forward. Even when you have a pretty good solution, you might still want to invite more ideas. And whether you’re leading or participating in the meeting, you might offer to take the lead on implementing a solution. In this lesson, we’ll cover all these skills for discussing solutions.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a teleconference led by Jim. On the line with Jim are Jack, Dan, and Angie. They are discussing how to deal with the issue of paint fumes at a factory. They’re trying to find the best way to solve this problem.

Listening Questions

1. What expression does Angie use to agree strongly with Dan’s idea?
2. What solution does Jim highlight as the best one?
3. What does Dan say he wants to do about the research on different types of paint?

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