Cookies Policy

Software Education Limited (we, us, our, SoftEd) uses cookies to monitor your use of our website (www.softed.com), perform analytics and deliver marketing that we believe is relevant to you.  Your continued use of our website and related services will signify your acceptance of this cookies policy and your agreement for us to use the cookies described in this policy.

This policy explains how we use cookies, how third parties may set cookies or similar technologies across the website to enable third party features or functionality and your choices in relation to cookies, including how to opt-out of cookies.

This policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy.  If this cookies policy does not provide the information you were looking for, or if you have further question about the use of cookies on our website, please email [email protected].

Changes to this policy

We may modify this policy without notifying you, so we encourage you to check this policy from time to time.  We may change this policy by uploading a revised policy onto our website.  Unless stated otherwise, the change will apply from the date that we upload the revised policy.

This policy was last updated on 13 July 2018.

What are cookies?

Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your browsing device, e.g. a computer or smartphone, when you visit a website. Cookies can be recognised by the website that downloaded them, or other websites that use the same cookies. This helps websites know if the browsing device has visited them before.

Cookies do lots of things, like helping us understand how the website is being used, letting users navigate between pages effectively, remembering your preferences, and generally improving your browsing experience. Cookies can also help ensure marketing you see online is more relevant to you and your interests.

In this policy, we also use the term cookie to refer to similar technologies such as pixel tags.  A pixel tag (also known as a web beacon) is a small string of code that represents a clear graphic image and is used in conjunction with a cookie. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on a user's computer hard drive, pixel tags are embedded invisibly on web pages or in emails.  A pixel tag allows us to capture certain additional types of information about a visitor's actions on a web site, such as a visitor's cookie number, the time, date, duration and number of page views, a description of the page where the tag is placed and details about any items that were purchased.  Pixel tags help us analyse our customers' online behaviour and measure the effectiveness of our website and our advertising. We work with service providers that help us track, collect and analyse this information. 

How long will cookies stay on my browsing device?

The length of time a cookie will stay on your browsing device depends on whether it is a persistent or session cookie.  Session cookies will only stay on your browsing device until you stop browsing.

Persistent cookies will stay on your browsing device until they expire or are deleted.

First and third party cookies

First party cookies are cookies that belong to SoftEd, while third party cookies are cookies that another party places on your browsing device through our website.

How to control and delete cookies through your browser

The browser you are using to view the website can enable, disable or delete cookies. To do this, please follow the instructions provided for your browser.

Please note that if you set your browser to disable cookies, you may not be able to access certain parts of the website. Other parts of the website may also not work properly.  You can find out more information about how to change your browser cookie settings at http://www.aboutcookies.org.uk./install.php.

Third party website cookies

Other websites may use different cookies from those SoftEd uses. You acknowledge and agree that SoftEd is not responsible for any third-party websites or applications and you access third-party websites and applications at your own risk. Since other websites and applications are independent from SoftEd, we recommend that you inform yourself of their separate cookie policies.

What types of cookies does SoftEd use?

The types of cookies used by us and most websites can generally be put into four categories: strictly necessary, performance, functionality, and targeting (described further below).

You can see what cookies we use and for what purposes below. 

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are essential for the full functionality of our website. They enable you to navigate around our website and use their features, such as accessing secure areas.  Without these cookies, you may not be able to access all the functions of our website. 

We use the following types of strictly necessary cookies:

Performance cookies

These cookies collect information about how you use our website, e.g. which pages are the most visited and if you receive any error messages from any pages.  These cookies do not gather information that identifies you.  All information these cookies collect is anonymous and only used to improve how our website works. 

We receive reports from our third-party analytics partners such as Google as aggregate numbers and trends.  To refuse these cookies, please follow the instructions under the above heading “how to control and delete cookies through your browser?”.  You can also opt out of Google Analytics’ cookies at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.  Information about Google’s cookies is available from:  https://policies.google.com/technologies/types.  Google’s applicable privacy policy for Google Analytics cookies is available at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

We use the following types of performance cookies:

Functionality cookies

These cookies allow our website to remember the choices you make, e.g. your user name, language or your region. These cookies can also be used to remember the changes you made to text size, font, and other parts of pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have requested, e.g. watching a video. The information these cookies collect may be anonymous and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.   To refuse these cookies, please follow the instructions under the above heading “how to control and delete cookies through your browser?”. 

We use the following types of functionality cookies:

Targeting cookies

These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you seen an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign.  They remember that you have visited a website and this information may be shared with other organisations such as advertisers.  This means that after you have been to our website, you may see some advertisements about our services elsewhere on the Internet.

We use the following types of targeting cookies:

We use Google Adwords, Google DoubeClick and Oath Brightroll to present advertising relevant to your interests when you access the website or our services, generated from data relating to your access and use of the website or our services and your other browsing history.  Google Adwords, Google DoubleClick and Oath Brightroll place cookies on your browser to collect information about your past use of our website and then places ads on sites across the Internet that are more likely to be of interest to you.  You can see further information about Google’s advertising tools at https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.  If you would like to customise or opt out of AdWord’s behavioural advertising or DoubleClick’s programmatic advertising, you can visit Google’s Ads Settings at https://adssettings.google.com.  If you would like to customise or opt out of Oath BrightRoll’s programmatic advertising, you can visit Oath’s privacy controls webpage at https://policies.oath.com/us/en/oath/privacy/controls/index.html.  For further information about how Oath treats personal information, please see Oath’s privacy policy at https://policies.oath.com/us/en/oath/privacy/index.html.  

You may also opt-out or targeted advertising at http://www.youronlinechoices.eu/.  You can learn more about interest-based advertising and opt out of interest-based advertising from participating online advertising companies at the following links:

Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) – http://optout.networkadvertising.org/

Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) – http://optout.aboutads.info/

Digital Advertising Alliance EU (EDAA) – http://www.youronlinechoices.com/

DAA AppChoices page – http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices

Please note that opting out of interest-based advertising does not mean you will no longer be served advertising.  You will continue to receive generic ads.

You may opt-out or targeted advertising at http://www.youronlinechoices.eu.  Please note this does not opt you out of being served advertising.  You will continue to receive generic ads.