Privacy Policy

Automation Resource Communication Technology cc t/a Arc Technology
Version: 2.0 Effective date: 01/04/2026 Last updated: 01/04/2026
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1. Who we are

Automation Resource Communication Technology cc, trading as Arc Technology (“Arc Tech”, “we”, “us” or “our”), respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African law.

We are a provider of business communication and connectivity services, including business internet, voice, cloud PBX, SIP trunking, Microsoft Teams Voice, hosted call-centre solutions, API integrations and our ARC Real Receptionist service. In respect of the personal information described in this policy, Arc Tech is the “responsible party” as defined in POPIA.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect your personal information when you visit our website, enquire about our services, or use the services we provide.

2. Our Information Officer and how to contact us

Arc Tech has appointed an Information Officer who is responsible for our compliance with POPIA and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA), and who is registered with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

If you have any question about this policy, wish to exercise your rights, or want to make a privacy-related request, please contact:

Information Officer, Arc Technology Email: privacy@arc-tech.co.za Phone: +27 21 824 8484 Address: 7A The Ridge Office Park, Kenridge, 7550

3. What personal information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Contact and identity information — your name, job title, email address, telephone number and the company you represent.
  • Account and service information — details you provide when signing up for or using our telecoms, internet, cloud PBX, SIP, Teams Voice, API integration or Real Receptionist services, including service configuration and support history.
  • Communication data — email correspondence, support tickets, and call recordings where calls are recorded (see section 6).
  • Billing and transaction information — the information needed to invoice and take payment for your services.
  • Website and usage information — your IP address, browser type, device information and pages visited, collected through cookies and similar technologies (see section 13).

We do not intentionally collect special personal information (such as health, biometric or religious information) or the personal information of children, and we ask that you do not provide it unless we have specifically requested it for a lawful purpose.

4. How we collect your information

We collect personal information directly from you when you complete a form on our website, contact us, sign up for a service, or communicate with our team. We also generate information about you in the course of providing services (for example call and support records), and we collect website usage information automatically through cookies. Where we collect information directly from you, we provide a short collection notice at the point of collection that links to this policy.

5. Why we process your information, and our lawful basis

We process personal information only where POPIA permits. The main purposes and the lawful basis for each are:

  • To provide and support your services (provisioning, configuration, technical support, service management) — because it is necessary to perform our contract with you.
  • To bill you and manage payments — because it is necessary to perform our contract and to comply with our legal and tax obligations.
  • To communicate with you about your account and enquiries — because it is necessary to perform our contract or in our legitimate business interests.
  • To improve our products and services, and to train our team and agents — in our legitimate business interests, in a way that does not override your rights.
  • To send you relevant updates, promotions and alerts — with your consent, or to existing customers on an opt-out basis as permitted by section 69 of POPIA (see section 7).
  • To comply with legal and regulatory obligations — for example our obligations under telecommunications law, RICA, tax law and lawful requests from authorities.

6. Call recording

Several of our services — including our hosted call-centre and ARC Real Receptionist services — involve recording telephone calls. Where calls are recorded, we do so for quality assurance, staff and agent training, dispute resolution and to maintain an accurate record of instructions. Where required, callers are informed that the call may be recorded before the recording begins. Call recordings are retained only for as long as necessary for these purposes (see section 10) and are protected by the security measures described in section 11.

7. Direct marketing and your choices

We will only send you electronic marketing communications where you have consented, or where you are an existing customer and the communication relates to our own similar products and services. Every marketing message includes a simple way to opt out, and you can withdraw your consent or unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link or emailing us at [privacy@arc-tech.co.za]. Withdrawing consent does not affect the services you already receive from us.

8. Who we share your information with

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only in the following circumstances:

  • Operators (sub-processors) who act on our behalf — such as hosting, connectivity, billing, CRM and communications providers who process personal information only on our instruction. Each operator is bound by a written agreement requiring appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
  • Independent third parties — such as your own internet service provider, or a regulator such as ICASA when porting your number, where sharing is necessary to deliver a service you have requested or to comply with the law.
  • Where you have given consent — for example, sharing configuration information with your CRM provider when we build an API integration for you.
  • Where required by law — to regulators, courts or law-enforcement authorities in response to a valid legal request.

9. Cross-border transfers

Some of our operators may store or process personal information outside South Africa — for example certain cloud CRM providers. Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we only do so as permitted by section 72 of POPIA: where the recipient is subject to laws or binding agreements that provide an adequate level of protection, where the transfer is necessary to perform our contract with you, or where you have consented.

10. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, to comply with our legal obligations, and to support your service relationship with us, after which it is securely deleted or de-identified. Indicative periods are:

  • Account and service records — for the duration of your service relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards to handle queries and disputes.
  • Billing and financial records — for the period required by South African tax and company law – typically five years.
  • Call recordings — for 45 days unless a longer period is required for a dispute or legal obligation, or in the event that you (the client) have requested longer term recording storage.
  • Marketing consent records — until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.

11. How we secure your information

We implement appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, damage, unauthorised access and unlawful processing, as required by section 19 of POPIA. These include:

  • encrypted transmission of data;
  • firewalls and intrusion-detection systems;
  • multi-factor authentication and access controls on our systems;
  • secure South African data centres with physical access controls; and
  • staff confidentiality obligations and security awareness training.

Where an operator processes personal information on our behalf, we require it to maintain security measures at least as protective as our own.

12. Your rights under POPIA

Subject to the conditions in POPIA, you have the right to:

  • be notified that we are collecting your information, and if it has been accessed by an unauthorised person;
  • request access to the personal information we hold about you;
  • request that we correct or delete information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, out of date or unlawfully obtained;
  • object, on reasonable grounds, to our processing of your information;
  • withdraw consent where we rely on it;
  • not be subject to a decision based solely on the automated processing of your information; and
  • lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (see section 14).

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer (section 2). We may need to verify your identity, and some requests are subject to the procedures and fees set out in our PAIA manual, which is available on request.

13. Cookies and website tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, to understand how it is used, and to support our marketing. We use:

  • Strictly necessary cookies, which are required for the site to function;
  • Analytics cookies (for example through Google tools), which help us understand website traffic; and
  • Marketing cookies, which help us measure and improve our advertising.

Non-essential cookies are used only with your consent. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings or any cookie-preference tool on our site, although disabling some cookies may affect how the website works.

14. Complaints and the Information Regulator

If you are concerned about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Information Officer first so we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator:

The Information Regulator (South Africa) Email (complaints): complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za Email (general/POPIA): POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za Website: https://inforegulator.org.za

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make a material change, we will update the version and effective date above and, where appropriate, notify account holders by email or by a notice on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

16. Contact us

Arc Technology (Automation Resource Communication Technology cc) Email: contact@arc-tech.co.za Information Officer: privacy@arc-tech.co.za Phone: +27 21 824 8484 Address: 7A The Ridge Office Park, Kenridge, 7550