This policy explains how personal information is handled when you use Global MSP Community, subscribe to our briefings, participate in research or community activity, register for events or contact us.
Global MSP Community is an initiative of Marketing Automation Ltd. We aim to collect only the information needed to operate the community, produce research and insight, run events and communicate with people who choose to take part.
If you participate in a university-governed study, ethics-approved doctoral research or another project with its own participant information sheet or consent form, that specific notice applies to that study and should be read alongside this policy.
Global MSP Community (“GMC”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is a managed-services research, insight, event and community initiative operated by Marketing Automation Ltd. For the processing described in this policy, Marketing Automation Ltd is generally the data controller unless a specific research notice, event notice or service states otherwise.
Global MSP Directory is a related specialist product. Where you leave this site and use Global MSP Directory directly, its own privacy information may also apply.
This policy applies to personal information processed through:
When you use the website, we may collect technical and usage information such as IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, approximate location derived from IP, interaction data, cookie identifiers, error information and similar diagnostic data.
Where events or other services require payment, payment processing may be handled by a third-party provider. We may receive payment status, transaction reference, billing name and limited billing information, but we do not necessarily receive or store full payment-card details.
Event administration can occasionally require information about accessibility, health-related requirements or dietary needs. We request this only where necessary to support your attendance and use an appropriate lawful condition for processing.
Most personal information comes directly from you. We may also receive or collect professional and business information from:
We may use publicly available professional information to understand the managed-services market, identify organisations relevant to research, verify contributor roles or make appropriate invitations. We do not treat publicly available information as exempt from data-protection law.
Depending on the activity, we may rely on:
| Legal basis | Typical GMC uses |
|---|---|
| Contract | Event bookings, paid services and steps you ask us to take before entering an agreement. |
| Legitimate interests | Operating and securing the site, B2B community administration, improving services, measuring engagement, appropriate professional outreach, market research and maintaining relevant business relationships, where those interests are not overridden by your rights. |
| Consent | Where you make a clear choice, including certain marketing, non-essential cookies, research participation, attributed quotations, recordings or special-category information where consent is the appropriate condition. |
| Legal obligation | Tax, accounting, legal, regulatory or law-enforcement requirements. |
| Other permitted conditions | Limited situations involving special-category information or the protection of an individual where another lawful condition applies. |
The Research Panel is intended to help GMC understand changes in the managed-services sector through short pulse questions, interviews and other voluntary contributions.
Where a research project has its own participant information sheet, consent form or privacy notice, those project-specific materials explain any additional processing.
For events and roundtables, we may use your name, role, organisation and interests to manage attendance, prepare badges, assign peer sessions and make relevant introductions. We do not automatically provide attendee contact details to sponsors or partners.
Some events may be photographed, filmed or recorded. Where this happens, we will provide appropriate notice and explain how recordings or images may be used. If a session is intended to be confidential, operated under the Chatham House Rule or subject to a different discussion rule, that will be stated for that session.
We may share dietary or accessibility information with the venue or relevant event supplier only to the extent needed to support your attendance.
You can unsubscribe from marketing or editorial email at any time using the unsubscribe link in the message or by contacting us. Service communications that are necessary to administer an event, research activity or transaction are separate from marketing.
Where permitted by law, we may send relevant B2B communications based on legitimate interests. Where consent is required, we will ask for it. We do not make sponsor marketing consent a condition of participating in a GMC event or community activity.
We do not sell personal information. We may share information with organisations that help us operate GMC, including:
GMC is intended to serve an international managed-services community, and some providers, participants or partners may be located outside the United Kingdom. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we use an available lawful transfer mechanism and appropriate safeguards where required, such as UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses or another recognised mechanism.
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to administer the community, maintain research records, operate events, resolve disputes, enforce agreements and meet legal, tax, accounting or regulatory obligations.
Retention periods vary by information type. For example, an event registration record may need to be kept for longer than an uncompleted enquiry because it is linked to a transaction or accounting record. We may retain aggregated or de-identified research information where it no longer identifies an individual.
Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you rights to request access to your personal information, correction, deletion, restriction, portability and objection to certain processing. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw that consent without affecting processing that was lawful before withdrawal. You can object to direct marketing at any time.
We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), although we would welcome the opportunity to address your concern first.
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies for necessary functionality, preferences, analytics and, where applicable and permitted, marketing. Where consent is required, non-essential technologies should not be activated until you make a choice.
You can use the site’s cookie controls, where provided, and browser settings to manage cookies. Disabling some technologies may affect certain functions.
Global MSP Community is intended for business and professional audiences and is not directed at children. If we become aware that we have collected a child’s personal information in circumstances where we should not have done so, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. No internet, email or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute security.
We do not currently use solely automated decision-making that produces legal effects, or similarly significant effects, on individuals through Global MSP Community. If that changes, we will provide the information required by law.
Privacy questions, rights requests or concerns can be sent to tim@automate.marketing.
We may update this policy when GMC’s services, research practices, providers or legal obligations change. Where a change is material, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to your attention.
Marketing Automation Ltd
Company number 12528642
Operator of Global MSP Community.