Privacy Policy
MTS Systems Corporation, a division of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (“MTS,” “we,” “us” or “our”) respects your personal privacy and is committed to adhering to the applicable privacy and data protection laws and industry guidelines. This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how we handle (1) the personal information that you provide to us on MTS.com and other online resources that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the “Website”), (2) information collected through your use of the Website, and (3) information obtained from our approved partners and other reliable sources. This Privacy Policy also explains the use of cookies and similar technologies on the Website (see PASSIVE INFORMATION COLLECTION below).
This Privacy Policy applies only to the MTS.com website and other online resources that link to this Privacy Policy – not to any third-party sites that may be accessible from here.
After reading this Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into and is a part of this Website’s Terms and Conditions of Use you will know:
- What information MTS collects from you and how we use it
- What choices you have about how MTS treats your information
- How MTS protects your information
- What MTS does about children visiting this Website
- How you can contact MTS
- Changes in the Privacy Policy
1. Information MTS Collects from You and How We Use It
YOUR CONSENT
By using, visiting or interacting with the Website or providing personal information to us through your use of the Website, you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information described in this Privacy Policy.
If you do not consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy, do not use the MTS Website or contact MTS pursuant to Section 5 below.
ACTIVE INFORMATION COLLECTION
Like many other web sites, we actively collect information from our visitors both by asking specific questions on this Website and by permitting you to communicate directly with us via e-mail, “Contact Us” forms, “Service Request” forms, purchase order forms, blog comments, registration forms or other methods made available to you on our Website. Some of the information that you submit may be personal information (that is, information that can be uniquely identified with you, such as your name, address, email address, phone number, etc.). MTS uses this information for the purposes for which you provide it and for any other purpose described at the time information is submitted by you, and as otherwise set forth in this Privacy Policy or as permitted or required by applicable law. For example, if you provide your name and contact information to us to request a quote, such information will be used to provide you with a quote or obtain more information from you regarding your request if necessary.
We generally collect and use personal information provided to us on the Website for the following purposes:
- to establish, develop and preserve our business relationship respectively with our customers and other individuals with whom we deal;
- to create, establish and administer your account and to respond to your inquiries;
- to provide the products and services that we offer and ensure that all related transactions are
- to allow individuals to apply for employment with MTS, notify others about MTS job postings and obtain information about future MTS job postings, and to allow us to consider individuals for employment with MTS and to contact individuals about employment opportunities;
- to authenticate the identity and preserve the privacy of customers or potential customers contacting MTS by telephone, electronic means or otherwise;
- to allow customers and Website visitors to register for and attend training sessions and classes;
- for quality assurance purposes;
- as necessary, to establish or verify the credit of persons who use, or intend to use, one or more of the products offered by MTS;
- to manage our business and ensure the efficiency, reliability and security of our systems;
- to meet legal and regulatory requirements and to allow MTS to meet contractual requirements relating to the products and services we offer;
- to ensure our records are accurate and to protect customers and MTS from error and fraud;
- to understand and assess the interests, wants and changing needs of our customers and Website visitors with a view to improving our products and services and developing new ones;
- to provide our customers and Website visitors with personalized products and services as well as product recommendations; and
- to notify our customers and Website visitors about changes to the Website or upcoming products and services offered or provided by us, our affiliates or our business partners that may be of interest to our customers and Website visitors.
PASSIVE INFORMATION COLLECTION
Some of the information we collect depends on the settings on your web browser. Please check your web browser if you want to learn what information your browser sends or how to change your settings. In addition to the information sent by your web browser, as you navigate through a web site, certain information can be passively collected (that is, gathered without you actively providing the information) using various technologies and means, such as navigational data collection.
Like most web site operators, we and our approved partners use cookies and similar technologies, local shared objects (or any other successor tracker technology), and pixel tags that automatically receive and track certain data about how you and other visitors interact with our Website, preferences expressed and settings chosen. For example, we may collect information about the technology you use (such as browser, type of computer, operating systems, mobile device and network used, and Internet service providers) and server log data (such as access dates and times, online features or pages viewed, system activity, and the third-party site or service you were using before interacting with our Website). These technologies are described in more detail below.
“Cookies” are small text files that are stored on your browser or device by websites, mobile apps, online media and advertisements. There are different types of cookies. Cookies served by the entity that operates the website you are visiting or using are called “first party cookies” (so cookies served by MTS while you are using our Website are first party cookies). Cookies served by companies that are not operating the website you are visiting or using are called “third party cookies” (so, we may a website analytics provider to set a cookie on your computer via our Website while you visit our Website, and that would be a third party cookie). Cookies may also endure for different periods of time. “Session Cookies” last only as long as your browser is open. These are deleted automatically once you close your browser or app. Other cookies are “persistent cookies” meaning that they survive after your browser is closed (for example, they may recognize your computer when you re-open our online services).
“Pixel tags” (also called beacons or pixels) are small blocks of code installed on (or called by) a web page, or advertisement which can retrieve certain information about your device and browser, including device type, operating system, browser type and version, web site visited, time of visit, referring web site, IP address, and other similar information (including the small text file (the cookie) that uniquely identifies the device). Pixels provide the means by which third parties can set and read browser cookies from a domain that they do not themselves operate and collect information about visitors to that domain, typically with the permission of the domain owner.
In this Privacy Policy, these and similar technologies are collectively referred to as “cookies and technologies.” The following table sets out the different categories of cookies and technologies that our Website, electronic communications, and advertisements may use and why we use them:
|
Cookie Types |
Purpose |
|
Authentication |
These cookies and technologies tell us when you’re using our Website so we can show you the appropriate features and content such as your account information, purchase history and to edit your account settings. |
|
Security and Website Integrity |
These cookies and technologies tell us when you’re using our Website so we can show you the appropriate features and content such as your account information, purchase history and to edit your account settings. |
|
Online Service Features |
These cookies and technologies provide functionality that help us deliver products and services. For example, cookies help you log in by pre-filling fields. We may also use these cookies and similar technologies to help us provide you and others with social plugins (for example, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn) and other customized content and experiences. |
|
Analytics and Research |
These cookies and technologies are used to understand, improve and research our Website, and better understand the interests of people who interact with our Website. For example, we and our approved partners may use these cookies and technologies to understand how you are using Website features, and segmenting audiences for feature testing. We and our partners may use these technologies and the information we receive to improve and understand how you use and interact with our Website, communications and advertisements. |
INFORMATION WE COLLECT FROM OTHER SOURCES
We may also receive information from other sources and combine it with information we collect through our Website. For example, we may obtain information about you from commercially available sources such as data aggregators and public databases (for example, job applicant information received from LinkedIn in connection with our hiring decisions). This information may include your name, demographic information, interests and publicly-observed data (such as from social media and shopping behavior).
RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
MTS retains the personal information collected on the Website as long as necessary to provide the services, products and information you request and to fulfill the other legitimate businesses purposes described above, or as permitted by applicable law.
DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
MTS will not sell or otherwise disclose personal information collected from the Website to any third person, except as permitted by this Privacy Policy, as permitted or provided by applicable law or with your consent.
We may disclose personal information you provide to us via this Website or that we collect through your use of the Website as follows:
- to affiliates, business partners, service providers and contractors who support our business, in which case we will limit the amount of information disclosed to that which is necessary in order for them to provide the services or products we have engaged them to provide. We will strive to protect personal information rendered accessible to affiliates, business partners, service providers and contractors by contractual agreements requiring them to adhere to confidentiality and security practices that provide for maintaining such information confidential and inaccessible to others;
- certain services we may offer from time to time, such as for example a newsletter subscription, may be maintained by third party service providers, in which case such third party may use the information you submit for its own purposes, as described in their privacy policy (available separately from such third party);
- to respond to law enforcement requests, where required by applicable laws, court order or governmental regulations;
- in the event of a sale, merger, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, assignment or other transfer of our business to which the information relates, in which case we will require any such buyer to agree to treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy and use it for the same purposes as we are entitled to do so under this Privacy Policy; and
- to report to law enforcement agencies any activities that we, in good faith, believe to be unlawful, and in situations involving threats of physical safety of any person or when we believe that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect our rights and property.
We will have no liability for disclosure of information obtained due to errors in transmission or the unauthorized intervention of third parties.
We may provide aggregate statistics about our customers, sales, online traffic patterns, and related information to reputable third parties, but these statistics will not include any personally identifying information.
We may allow others to provide audience measurement and analytics services for us, to serve advertisements on our behalf on our Website and across the Internet, and to track and report on the performance of those advertisements. These entities may use cookies, pixel tags, and other technologies to identify your computer when you use our Website and interact with our electronic communications and ads, as well as when you visit other web sites and services. When third-party ad providers collect data on our Website for their own purposes (not solely on behalf of MTS), any such data collected and maintained by such third-party ad providers will be subject to the terms of use and privacy policies of those providers.
This Website may use social media plugins (for example, the Facebook “Share” button, “Share to Twitter”‘ button) to enable you to easily share information with others. When you visit our Website, the operator of the social plugin can place a cookie on your computer, enabling that operator to recognize individuals who have previously visited our Website. If you are logged into the social media website (for example, Facebook, Twitter, Google+) while browsing on our Website, the social plugins allow that social media website to receive information that you have visited our Website. The social plugins also allow the social media website to share information about your activities on our Website with other users of their social media website. For example, Facebook social plugin allows Facebook to show your comments on our pages to your Facebook friends. MTS does not control any of the content from the social media plugins. For more information about social plugins from other social media websites you should refer to those sites’ privacy and data sharing statements.
We may transfer the information described in this Privacy Policy to, and process and store it in, the United States and other countries, some of which may have less protective data protection laws than the region in which you reside. Where this is the case, we will take appropriate measures to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Nonetheless, your personal information may be subject to foreign laws and may be accessible by foreign government authorities, courts, law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
2. Choices You Have About How MTS Uses Your Information
We strive to provide you with as many choices and as much control as possible regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:
You may also send us an e-mail message at privacy@mts.com to request access to, correct or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. To protect your privacy, we will only respond to email messages sent from the e-mail account you used to set up your account. Should you elect to have your information deleted, we will also delete your user account.
If you do not wish us to collect cookies, you may set your browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you do so, please note that some parts of this Website may then be inaccessible or not function properly.
This Website may provide forums and other areas where you can communicate with others and publicly post information. You have no privacy rights in public postings. All information you post will be accessible to anyone with internet access, and any personal information you include in your posting may be read, collected and used by others. Please use caution when posting any personal information.
You can also generally opt-out of receiving personalized ads from third party advertisers and ad networks that honor such requests by visiting: www.aboutads.info/choices (if you are in the United States), http://youradchoices.ca/choices/ (if you are in Canada), or http://youronlinechoices.eu/ (if you are in Europe).
DO NOT TRACK: Some web browsers may transmit “do-not-track” signals to web sites with which the browser communicates. Our Website does not currently respond to these “do-not-track” signals.
3. How MTS Protects Your Information
We work hard to protect your personal information. All information collected through the Website is stored within a secured database that is not accessible to the outside world. Resumes are stored on file systems that are not publicly accessible. All MTS servers are protected behind both hardware and software firewalls. Low-level access to all information is restricted to authorized support personnel only.
The safety and security of your information also depend on you. Nevershare your password with anyone else, notify us promptly if you believe your password security has been breached, and remember to log off of this Website before you leave your computer.
This Website contains links to other web sites operated by third parties that may be of interest to you. We cannot control these third-party sites, which may collect personal information from you. When you follow a link and leave this Website, you do so at your own risk. We encourage you to read that party’s privacy policy or contact them directly regarding their privacy practices.
4. What MTS Does About Children Visiting This Website
This Website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We will not knowingly collect information from Website visitors in this age group. We encourage parents to talk to their children about their use of the Internet and the information they disclose online. If your child has submitted personal information and you would like to request that such information be deleted from our records, you may do so by using the feedback mechanisms provided at the MTS Website, by clicking on the feedback link or by writing us at the address set forth in Section 5 below.
5. How You Can Contact MTS
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the information practices of MTS, this Website or of our service providers, contractors and business partners, please contact us at the information below and address your request to:
MTS Systems Corporation
Attn: Customer Service
14000 Technology Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344 USA
Toll-Free (USA): 1-800-328-2255
privacy@mts.com
6. Changes In The Privacy Policy
MTS reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy, at any time and without prior notice, by posting the revised version of this Privacy Policy on this MTS Website. If we modify this Privacy Policy, the modifications will only apply to personal information we collect after we have posted the revised Privacy Policy on this Website.