When we started with TimeControl, the location of the client’s data had nothing to do with us. We published the software with an on-premise license and the client decided where to install the product and where to locate the data. The location, security and access to that data was completely decided by the client. With the release of TimeControl Online a dozen years ago, that all changed. TimeControl Online’s data was originally stored only in the US but as Software as a Service (SaaS) became more popular in medium to large corporate environments, the location suddenly became more an issue.
As it has with so many changes to the technical world, TimeControl adapted. The TimeControl Data Location option, allows a client for a fee to decide from a wide range of countries where to locate their data. The option is well established in our own technical department and has been taken advantage of over the years by clients requesting their data be stored and secured in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. There are other countries and regions that can be supported as well including Brazil, South Africa, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, India, Australia, Japan and others.
The TimeControl Data Location option goes beyond just storing the data. At HMS we understand data sovereignty. So, when this option is used, we don’t backup or transport data to any other location outside the country or region where it is located. We also don’t ever read client data directly from our Canadian offices in Montreal without a client’s direct request. And, when the Data Location option is involved, we work with the client on how to access the data through their own systems to achieve whatever might be required to help with support or features.
HMS does manage these remote servers of course. We monitor all our Data Location servers just the way we do with the US-based servers on a 24×7 basis. We also handle all the upgrades and updates directly but that is an application-based update, the TimeControl application then handles upgrading the data locally in each location on its own.
Storing the data and self-restricting our access to the data is only part of the data sovereignty conversation. It is then up to the client themselves to determine which users can access TimeControl and from where. For global companies, that can take some thinking to make sure that both data sovereignty and user privacy are respected.
The Data Location option is available to TimeControl Online and TimeControl Industrial Online clients at any time. If this is of interest to you, contact your TimeControl Account Executive at: TimeControl.com/contact
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