What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website or use an online service. Cookies are widely used by organizations in order to make their websites or services work, or to function more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information. There are two types of cookies: session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are stored in temporary memory, not retained after an end-user's browsing session ends and do not obtain information from the end-user's device. On the other hand, persistent cookies persist on the end-user's device in the browser's subfolder and are activated again once you visit the site that created the particular cookie and remains for the duration period set within the cookie's file.

Cookies set by the website or service operator are called "first party cookies". Cookies set by parties other than the website or service operator are called "third party cookies". Third party cookies typically enable certain third party features or functionality to be provided on or through websites or services (such as, advertising, interactive content and analytics). The parties that set these third party cookies can recognise an individual's computer both when they visit the website or use the service in question and also when they visits certain other websites.

What cookies do we use and why?

There are three types of cookies that we may use:

• Required cookies: These are cookies, also known as 'essential' or 'strictly necessary' cookies, that are required for technical reasons in order for the online Properties and Services to operate. Without these cookies, the online Properties and Services would not be able to function. We want you to understand these required cookies, and why we use them, but we don't need to get your consent to use them on our online Properties and Services as we use these cookies only to provide you with services or information that you have requested.
• Functional cookies: These cookies may be used to enhance the performance and functionality of our online Properties and Services; to manage your preferences; to analyse and personalize your use of, or to generally help us better understand how, our online Properties and Services are being used. We think that these cookies will improve your experience when using the online Properties and Services but are non-essential to their use. As such, you may disable these cookies as set forth below, however please be aware that, without these cookies, certain functionality (like videos) may become unavailable.
• Advertising/ targeting cookies: These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring that ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests. You may disable the use of these cookies as set forth below.

Cookies served through our online Properties

The specific types of first and third party cookies served through our online Properties and the purposes they perform are described in our [Cookie ConsentTool].

Cookies served through the Services

Please refer to Part IV "Cookies and tracking technologies" in our Products and Services Notice for more information about the cookies and similar technologies we use in our Services.

What similar technologies do we use?

Cookies are not the only way to recognise or track users of our online Properties and Services. We may use other similar technologies from time to time, like web beacons (sometimes called "tracking pixels" or "clear gifs") to track users of our online Properties and Services. These are tiny graphics files that contain a unique identifier that enable us to recognise when someone has interacted with our online Properties and Services, such as opening an e-mail that we have sent them. The use of web beacons (or similar technologies) allow us, for example, to monitor the traffic patterns of users within our online Properties and Services, to deliver or communicate with cookies, to understand whether you have come to our online Properties from an online advertisement displayed on a third-party website, to improve our online Properties and Services, and to measure the success of e-mail marketing campaigns. In many instances, these technologies are reliant on cookies to function properly, and so declining cookies will impair their functioning.

We and our service providers and third parties we collaborate with, including ad networks, may use cross-device/cross-context tracking. For example, you might use multiple browsers on a single device, or use various devices (such as desktops, smartphones, and tablets), which can result in your having multiple accounts or profiles across these various contexts and devices. Cross-device/cross-context technology may be used to connect these various accounts or profiles and the corresponding data from the different contexts and devices.

What about Flash Cookies or Local Shared Objects?

Our online Properties and Services may also use so-called "Flash Cookies" (also known as "Local Shared Objects" or "LSOs") to, collect and store information about your use, to prevent fraud and for other site operations.

If you do not want Flash Cookies stored on your computer, you can adjust the settings of your Flash player to block Flash Cookies storage using the tools contained in the Website Storage Settings Panel. You can also control Flash Cookies by going to the Global Storage Settings Panel and following the instructions (which may include instructions that explain, for example, how to delete existing Flash Cookies (referred to "information" on the Macromedia site), how to prevent Flash LSOs from being placed on your computer without your being asked, and (for Flash Player 8 and later) how to block Flash Cookies that are not being delivered by the operator of the page you are on at the time).

Please note that setting the Flash Player to restrict or limit acceptance of Flash Cookies may reduce or impede the functionality of some Flash applications, including, potentially, Flash applications used in connection with our online Properties and Services.

VMware tracks and analyses both individualized usage and volume statistical information related to your use of our online Properties and Services. We also partner with third parties (such as advertisers and ad networks) to display advertising on our online Properties and/or to manage and serve advertising on other third party sites.

These third parties use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags and similar tracking technologies to collect and use certain information about your online activities, either on our online Properties, our Services and/or other third party sites and services. This information may be used alone or in combination with information about you we obtain from other sources (like our data partners) and contact details, professional information and VMware transaction history to infer your interests and deliver you targeted advertisements and marketing that are more tailored to you based on your browsing activities and inferred interests ("Interest Based Advertising"). Such Interest Based Advertising will only be delivered where permitted by applicable law and in accordance with your advertising / marketing preferences.

Our third party service providers may also use cookies or similar technologies to collect information about your visits to our online Properties, the Services and/or other third party sites to measure and track the effectiveness of advertisements and our online marketing activities (for example, by collecting data on how many times you click on one of our advertisements).

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies (apart from those that are required or essential).

You can exercise your preferences in relation to cookies served: (i) on our Online Properties by using our cookie consent tool; (ii) through our Services by referring to Part IV – Cookies and Tracking Technologies in our Products and Services Notice or (iii) by setting or amending your browser controls as described below.

Browser controls: You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use our online Properties though your access to some functionality and areas of our online Properties may be restricted. As the means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls vary from browser-to-browser, you should visit your browser's help menu for more information.

Disabling most Interest Based Advertising: Most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of interest based advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or http://www.youronlinechoices.com.

Opting out of tracking via your mobile device: If you are using a mobile device, you can opt out of having your mobile identifier used for certain types of Interest Based Advertising, including those performed by us, by accessing the settings in your Apple or Android mobile device and following the most recent published instructions. If you opt-out, no further data collection or tracking will occur. This means that if at a later stage, you decide to opt-in, we will not be able to continue and track you using the same ID as before and you will for all practical purposes be a new user to our system.

Do Not Track: Some Internet browsers - like Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari - include the ability to transmit "Do Not Track" or "DNT" signals. Since uniform standards for "DNT" signals have not been adopted, our online Properties do not currently process or respond to "DNT" signals. VMware takes privacy and meaningful choice seriously and will make efforts to continue to monitor developments around DNT browser technology and the implementation of a standard. To learn more about "DNT", please visit "All About Do Not Track".

Opting out of third party analytics

• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics cookies to collect information about the user behavior on some of our online Properties. The information is used to collect data reports to improve the content and performance of our Sites. Google’s privacy policy is located at http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.
• Quantcast: Upon consent, we use Quantcast cookies to help us understand the characteristics and demographics of the people who visit some of our online Properties. We also use Quantcast cookies to deliver relevant online advertising to individual consumers. You may specifically opt out of Quantcast at https://www.quantcast.com/opt-out/.

How often will we update this Cookie Notice?
We may update this Cookie Notice from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies and related technologies we use or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. You should review this Cookie Notice regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.

Where can you obtain further information?
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please submit a request using our Privacy Contact Form.