Effective date: September 26, 2013

Welcome to the online and mobile service(s) of Astron International, Inc. (“Astron International,” “Astron,” “we,” or “us”).  Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information that applies to our services, and your choices about the collection and use of your information.

1.      HOW WE COLLECT AND USE INFORMATION

We collect the following types of information about you:

1.1   Information you provide to us directly: We may ask for certain information such as your first and last name, phone number and e-mail address when you register for an Astron International service, or if you correspond with us.  We may also retain any messages you send through our services, and may collect information you provide our services, including but not limited to posts to a blog.  We use this information to operate, maintain, and provide to you the features and functionality of our services, and as further detailed below. 

1.2   Analytics information:  We may directly collect or use third-party analytics tools to help us measure traffic and usage trends for our services.  These tools collect information sent by your browser or mobile device as part of a web page request, including the web pages you visit, your browser add-ons, your browser’s width and height, and other information that assists us in improving our services.  We collect and use this analytics information in aggregate form such that it cannot reasonably be manipulated to identify any particular individual user.

1.3   Cookies information:  When you visit one of our services, we may send one or more cookies — a small text file containing a string of alphanumeric characters — to your computer that uniquely identifies your browser and lets Astron International help you log in faster and enhance your navigation through the site.  A cookie may also convey information to us about how you use our services (e.g., the pages you view, the links you click and other actions you take on our services), and allow us or our business partners to track your usage of our services over time. A persistent cookie may remain on your hard drive after you close your browser.  Persistent cookies may be used by your browser on subsequent visits to the site.  Persistent cookies can be removed by following your web browser’s directions.  A session cookie is temporary and disappears after you close your browser.  You can reset your web browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent, however some features of our services may not function properly if the ability to accept cookies is disabled.

1.4   Log file information:  Log file information is automatically reported by your browser each time you access a web page.  When you use our services, our servers automatically record certain log file information.  These server logs may include anonymous information such as your web request, Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, browser type, referring / exit pages and URLs, number of clicks and how you interact with links on our services, domain names, landing pages, pages viewed, and other such information.

1.5   Clear gifs/web beacons information:  When you use our services, we may employ clear gifs (also known as web beacons) which are used to anonymously track the online usage patterns of our users.  In addition, we may also use clear gifs in HTML-based emails sent to our users to track which emails are opened and which links are clicked by recipients.  The information allows for more accurate reporting and improvement of our services.

1.6   Device identifiers:  When you access our services by or through a mobile device (including but not limited to smart-phones or tablets), we may access, collect, monitor and/or remotely store one or more “device identifiers,” such as a universally unique identifier (“UUID”).  Device identifiers are small data files or similar data structures stored on or associated with your mobile device, which uniquely identify your mobile device.  A device identifier may be data stored in connection with the device hardware, data stored in connection with the device’s operating system or other software, or data sent to the device by Astron International.  A device identifier may convey information to us about how you browse and use our services.  A device identifier may remain persistently on your device, to help you log in faster and enhance your navigation through our services.  Some features of our services may not function properly if use or availability of device identifiers is impaired or disabled.

1.7   Commercial and marketing communications: We use the information we collect or receive to communicate directly with you.  We may send you emails or push notifications on your mobile device containing newsletters, promotions and special offers. If you do not want to receive such email messages, you will be given the option to opt out or change your preferences.  You may opt-out of push notification messages by changing your settings on your mobile device.  We will not send you marketing communications using SMS text messages.  We also use your information to send you service-related notices (e.g., account verification, changes/updates to features of our services, technical and security notices) to your email address or mobile device via push notification.  You may not opt out of service-related messages.

1.8   Use of certain service type information we collect about you: We use or may use cookies, log file, device identifiers, location data and clear gifs information to:  (a) remember information so that you will not have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the site; (b) provide custom, personalized content and information; (c) to provide and monitor the effectiveness of our services; (d) monitor aggregate metrics such as total number of visitors, traffic, and demographic patterns; (e) diagnose or fix technology problems; (f) help you efficiently access your information after you sign in; (g) to provide advertising  to your browser or device, and (h) automatically update an Astron International application on your mobile devices. 

2.      SHARING OF YOUR INFORMATION

We will not rent or sell your information into third parties outside Astron International and its group companies (including any parent, subsidiaries and affiliates) without your consent, except as noted below:

2.1   Who we may share your information with: We may share your information with third-party business partners for the purpose of providing our services to you.  Those business partners will be given limited access to your information as is reasonably necessary to deliver our services, and we will require that such third parties comply with this Privacy Policy.

2.2   Who you may choose to share your information with: Any information or content that you voluntarily disclose for posting to our services, such as user content or blog posts, becomes available to the public, as controlled by any available privacy settings.  Any user content or blog post that you voluntarily make public is searchable by other users.  In addition, Astron International allows for the RSS syndication of all of its public content within our services, and may allow third parties to access such information via the Astron International application programming interface (“API”).  If you remove information that you posted to our services, copies may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of our services, or if other users have copied or saved that information.

2.3   What happens in the event of a change of control: We may buy or sell/divest/transfer our company (including any shares in the company), or any combination of its products, services, assets and/or businesses.  Your information such as customer names and email addresses, user content and other user information related to our services may be among the items transferred in these types of transactions.  We may also sell, assign or otherwise transfer such information in the course of corporate divestitures, mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, dissolutions, reorganizations, liquidations, similar transactions or proceedings involving all or a portion of the company.

2.4   Instances where we are required to share your information: Astron International will disclose your information where required to do so by law or subpoena or if we reasonably believe that such action is necessary to (a) comply with the law and the reasonable requests of law enforcement; (b) to protect the security or integrity of our services; and/or (c) to exercise or protect the rights, property, or personal safety of Astron International, our users or others.

2.5   Sharing certain service type information we collect about you:  We may share certain service type information, including information obtained through tools such as cookies, log files, device identifiers, location data and clear gifs (such as anonymous usage data, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform types, number of clicks, etc.) with our third-party business partners for the purposes described in the section above on “How We Collect and Use Information.”  We may also aggregate or otherwise strip data of all personally identifying characteristics and may share that aggregated, anonymized data with third parties.

2.6   Ads on Astron International websites and services:  We may also share certain information such as your location, browser and cookie data and other data relating to your use of our services with our business partners to deliver advertisements (“ads”) that may be of interest to you.  Astron International may allow third-party ad servers or ad networks to serve advertisements on our services.  These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to send, directly to your browser or mobile device, the ads and ad links that appear on our services, and will automatically receive your IP address when they do so.  They may also use other technologies (such as cookies, JavaScript, device identifiers, location data, and clear gifs, see above) to compile information about your browser’s or device’s visits and usage patterns on our services, and to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize the advertising content.  Astron International does not sell, rent, or share the information we collect directly from you or about you from third parties with these third-party ad servers or ad networks for such parties’ own marketing purposes, unless you choose in advance to have your information shared for this purpose. Additionally, you may wish to opt-out of receiving cookies by adjusting your browser settings to refuse cookies or to alert you when a cookie is placed.  See “Your Choices About Your Information” below. 

Please note that an advertiser may ask Astron International to show an ad to a certain audience of users (e.g., based on demographics or other interests).  In that situation, Astron International determines the target audience and Astron International serves the advertising to that audience and only provides anonymous aggregated data to the advertiser.  If you respond to such an ad, the advertiser or ad server may conclude that you fit the description of the audience they are trying to reach. 

The Astron International Privacy Policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, third-party advertisers.  Please consult the respective privacy policies of such advertisers or contact such advertisers for more information.

3.      HOW WE STORE AND PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

3.1   Storage and Processing:  Your information collected through our services may be stored and processed in the United States, or any other country in which Astron International or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities. Astron International may transfer information that we collect about you, including personal information, to affiliated entities, or to other third parties across borders and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world.  If you are located in the European Union or other regions with laws governing data collection and use that may differ from U.S. law, please note that we may transfer information, including personal information, to a country and jurisdiction that does not have the same data protection laws as your jurisdiction, and you consent to the transfer of information to the U.S. or any other country in which Astron International or its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities and the use and disclosure of information about you as described in this Privacy Policy. 

3.2   Keeping your information safe:  Astron International cares about the security of your information, and uses commercially reasonable safeguards to preserve the integrity and security of all information collected through our services.  To protect your privacy and security, we take reasonable steps (such as requesting a unique password) to verify your identity before granting you access.  You are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your unique password and account information, and for controlling access to your email communications from Astron International, at all times.  However, Astron International cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to Astron International or guarantee that information on our services may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed.

3.3   Compromise of information:  In the event that any information under our control is compromised as a result of a breach of security, Astron International will take reasonable steps to investigate the situation and where appropriate, notify those individuals whose information may have been compromised and take other steps, in accordance with any applicable laws and regulations.

4.      YOUR CHOICES ABOUT YOUR INFORMATION

4.1   You control your account information and settings:  Where applicable, you may update your account information and email-communication preferences at any time by logging into your account and changing your profile settings.  You can also stop receiving promotional email communications from us by clicking on the “unsubscribe link” provided in such communications, by sending an email message to info@astroninc.com, with the word "No email" in the subject field, or by sending mail to the following postal address:

    Customer Support
    Astron International 
    P.O. Box 218275
    Houston, TX 77218 

Opting out may prevent you from receiving email messages regarding updates, improvements, or offers.  You may not opt out of certain service-related notices. 

If you have any questions about reviewing or modifying your account information, you can contact us directly at info@astroninc.com.

4.2   Opting out of collection of your information for Tracking / Advertising:  Please refer to your mobile device or browser’s technical information for instructions on how to delete and disable cookies, and other tracking/recording tools.  Depending on your type of device, it may not be possible to delete or disable tracking mechanisms on your mobile device.  Note that disabling cookies and/or other tracking tools prevents Astron International or its business partners from tracking your browser’s activities in relation to our services, and for use in targeted advertising activities by third parties.  However, doing so may disable many of the features available through our services.

4.3   How long we keep your user content:  Following termination or deactivation of your user account, Astron International may retain your profile information and user content for a commercially reasonable time for backup, archival, or audit purposes.

5.      CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

Astron International does not knowingly collect or solicit any information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register as users.  Our services and its content are not directed at children under the age of 13.  If you are under 13, please do not send any information about yourself to us, including your name, address, telephone number, or email address.  In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.  If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at info@astroninc.com.

6.      LINKS TO OTHER WEB SITES AND SERVICES

We are not responsible for the practices employed by websites or services linked to or from our services, including the information or content contained therein.  Please remember that when you use a link to go from our services to another website, our Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services.  Your browsing and interaction on any third-party website or service, including those that have a link or advertisement on our website, are subject to that third party’s own rules and policies.  This Privacy Policy does not apply to information we collect by other means (including offline) or from other sources other than through our services. 

7.      HOW TO CONTACT US

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our services, please contact us at info@astroninc.com.

8.      CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY

Astron International may modify or update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect the changes in our business and practices, and so you should review this page periodically.  When we change the policy in a material manner we will let you know and update the ‘last modified’ date at the bottom of this page.  

This privacy policy was last modified on September 26, 2013.

 
Questions? 

Please e-mail info@astroninc.com.