VMware Cookie Notice

What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website or use software or an online service. Cookies are widely used to make websites or services work by providing persistent state to a user’s website session, to function more efficiently, to provide reporting information such as analytics on visitors’ usage of the website or to serve relevant advertising.

How are cookies categorized? 

Cookies are categorized in multiple ways: (i) by their duration, (ii) by who sets them, or (iii) by their purpose. 

By duration.Cookies are either session cookies or persistent cookies. Session cookies are stored in temporary memory, are not retained after your browser is closed. Persistent cookies persist on your device in a folder associated with your browser and are activated again once you visit other sites that can identify that cookie. Persistent cookies remain on your device for the duration period set within the cookie, or until the cookie is deleted.

By who sets them.Cookies set by the operator of the website that a user is currently visiting are called "first-party cookies". Cookies set on a website by parties other than the website operator (but at the direction of the website operator) are called "third-party cookies". Third-party cookies typically enable certain third-party features or functionality to be provided through the website (such as, advertising, interactive content and analytics). The third party that set the third-party cookie can typically recognise your device when you visit that website and also when you visit other websites that use the same or related cookies.

By purpose.Cookies are also categorized by the purpose they serve. As examples, cookies that are required for the website to operate, cookies that provide performance enhancements, or cookies that help deliver targeted advertising. We allow you to opt in or out of cookies based on our purpose categories, which are described below.

What cookies do we use and why?

What cookies do we use and why? There are five types of cookies that we may use with our online Properties and Services:

• Strictly Necessary cookies:These cookies, also known as 'essential' or 'required' cookies, 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 do not need your consent to use Strictly Necessary cookies and you cannot disable these cookies.
• Performance cookies:These cookies help us analyze the performance of our online Properties and Services by collecting information about how visitors use and navigate, and which pages are the most and least visited. This information enables us to optimize our online Properties and Services. We think the use of these cookies will lead to improvements in our online Properties and Services, but they are not essential. You may disable or not accept these cookies.
• Functional cookies:These cookies help us keep track of your past choices and settings so we can manage your preferences and customize your experience within our online Properties. These cookies enable us to remember your preferred settings, language preferences, location and other customizable elements, such as font or text size. We believe that these cookies will improve your experience when using the online Properties and Services but they are not essential in order for you to use the website. You may disable or not accept these cookies.
• Advertising cookies:These cookies are used to present you with more relevant advertising messages. They are typically set by third parties that build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites. You may disable or not accept these cookies. Note that visitors and users from California may see this category of cookie labeled as “Sell or Share Personal Data”, which facilitates the exercise of California residents’ opt-out rights, as further described in our California Privacy Notice.
• Social Media cookies: These cookies are set by social media services (e.g., LinkedIn), and enable you to share content with your networks. As with Advertising cookies, these third parties may build a profile of your interests to show you relevant advertising. Our use of social media cookies does not allow us to gain access to your social media accounts. Even if originating on our site, your interactions with the social media services are governed by their terms. You may disable or not accept these cookies.

What ‘similar technologies’ do we use and why?

Cookies are not the only way to recognise or track users of our online Properties and Services. We may use other similar technologies, like tracking pixels (sometimes called "web beacons" or "clear gifs"). These are tiny graphics files embedded in web pages or emails that contain a unique identifier that enable us to recognise when someone has interacted with our online Properties and Services, such as watching a video on our website or opening an e-mail that we have sent them. The use of tracking pixels (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, 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.

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 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).

Browser controls:

You can set or amend your web browser controls to accept or reject 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. The means by which you can refuse cookies through your web browser controls varies from browser-to-browser, so visit your browser's help menu for more information.

• Global Privacy Signal honored: Some Internet browsers and browser extensions - like Brave, Firefox, DuckDuckGo, Privacy Badger, Abine, and Disconnect - include the ability to transmit “Global Privacy Control” or “GPC” signals. Our online Properties process GPC signals and respond by disabling select cookies. The signal applies only to your device and browser; if you visit our website from a different device or browser, you will need to re-set your GPC settings. To learn more about "GPC" and how to use it, please visit GlobalPrivacyControl.org.
• “Do Not Track” not honored:Some Internet browsers - like Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari - include the ability to transmit "Do Not Track" or "DNT" signals. Since uniform standards for responding to "DNT" signals have not been adopted, our online Properties do not currently process or respond to "DNT" signals. To learn more about "DNT", please visit "All About Do Not Track".

Mobile device controls

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.

Third-party analytics and ads providers

We use a variety of third-party services for analytics and advertising. You will find a listing within the cookie settings of our Online Properties and Services (see above), but we highlight a few here.

• 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: We use Quantcast cookies to help us understand the interests of the people who visit our online Properties and to deliver relevant programmatic advertising. You may specifically opt out of Quantcast at https://www.quantcast.com/opt-out/.
• Interest Based Advertising: Many 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.
• Tools used by our Services:Other tools we use in connection with our Services are described in our Products and Services Notice at Part IV – Cookies and Tracking Technologies.

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.

How can you contact us or 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.