[July 17, 2017]

etouches Announces EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework Certification

etouches, a leading global provider of cloud event management software and sourcing solutions, today announced its certification under the EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks, signifying its compliance with rigorous standards for data protection when transferring personal data from the European Union and Switzerland to the United States. The certification validates etouches' commitment to serving its global customer base with optimal security and support.

etouches is the only U.S.-based provider of event management solutions to align with the Privacy Shield requirements, which are administered by the International Trade Administration (ITA (News - Alert)) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Replacing the International Safe Harbor Privacy Principles, which had previously served as the industry guidelines for ensuring that private organizations within the EU or United States did not accidentally disclose or lose personal customer information, the Privacy Shield program has served as the established framework for regulating transatlantic data flows since August 2016.

With operations and data centers in North America, EMEA, and APAC, etouches supports customers in 80 countries. Its event software, event sourcing and meeting solutions are adapted for 34 languages and 40 currencies. Over the past 12 months, etouches has executed 46,000 events totaling 5.8 million registrations. With its global reach, the company recognized the need for increased transparency and security in hndling users' personal data.

"Our software is being used to manage events and meetings around the world, and our customers demand the highest level of privacy and security of personal information, no matter where it originates or where it's stored," said Shane Edmonds, CTO of etouches. "We understand the implications of doing business on a global scale, and becoming Privacy Shield Framework certified reflects etouches' commitment to providing customers with optimal service and data security."

To apply and secure certification, eligible organizations must develop a conforming privacy policy, identify an independent recourse mechanism, and self-certify through the Privacy Shield website. U.S.-based companies must self-certify annually to ensure continued compliance with certification requirements, display the privacy policy on corporate websites, reply promptly to any complaints, and, if handling human resources data, cooperate and comply with European Data Protection Authorities.

As a result, European users benefit from more transparency about transfers of personal data to the U.S. and stronger protection of personal data, as well as easier and cheaper redress options in case of complaints - directly or with the help of their local Data Protection Authority.

etouches is also committed to full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is intended to unify and strengthen data protection for all individuals within the EU when it takes effect on May 25, 2018. All etouches data centers globally operate with compliance to the following key tenets of the regulation: responsibility and accountability, data protection officer, pseudonymization, right to erasure, and data portability. The company is currently undergoing the certification process through an accredited certification body.

About etouches

etouches is a global leader in cloud based analytics and data driven end-to-end event management and venue sourcing solutions. The award winning open source platform delivers innovative technology solutions to streamline the event process, providing real-time data and analytics on event performance, customer engagement, and increasing measurable event ROI. Founded in 2008, etouches has assisted over 25,000 event professionals in planning, executing, and measuring their events. With a focus on event sourcing, registration, marketing, logistics, engagement, mobile, and data analytics, the company serves more than 1,300 customers including leading corporations, associations, agencies, and educational institutions globally. Headquartered in the United States, the company also has offices in the UK, Belgium, Australia, Singapore, and UAE. etouches is a portfolio company of private equity firm HGGC. Learn more at etouches.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170717005278/en/

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