11. How are tracking tools used?

We use Google's web analytics services for the purpose of designing and continuously optimising our websites, apps and emails to meet our customers' needs. Our legitimate interest forms the legal basis for the data processing described below.

  • Tracking on websites:
  • In connection with our internet pages, pseudonymised usage profiles are created and small text files ("cookies") stored on your computer are used (see "What are cookies and when are they used?" below). The information generated by cookies about your use of these Internet pages is transmitted to the servers of the providers of these services, stored there and processed for us. In addition to the data listed above (see "What data is processed when you use our Internet pages?"), we thereby obtain the following information:
  • Navigation path that a visitor takes on the website
  • the length of time spent on the website or sub-page
  • The sub-page on which the visitor leaves the website
  • Country, region or city from which access is made
  • terminal device (type, version, colour depth, resolution, width and height of the browser window)
  • returning or new visitor
  • Browser type/version
  • Operating system used
  • Referrer URL (the previously visited page)
  • Host name of the accessing computer (IP address) and
  • Time of the server request

This information is used to evaluate the use of the website.

Tracking when sending e-mails:

When sending e-mails, we use third-party e-mail marketing services. Our emails may therefore contain a so-called web beacon (tracking pixel) or similar technical means. A web beacon is a 1x1 pixel, invisible graphic that is associated with the user ID of the respective email subscriber.

For each newsletter sent, there is information on the address file used, the subject and the number of newsletters sent. Furthermore, it is possible to see which addresses have not yet received the newsletter, to which addresses the newsletter was sent and for which addresses the sending failed. In addition, the opening rate, including information on which addresses have opened the newsletter and which addresses have unsubscribed from the newsletter distribution list, can be discussed.

Recourse to corresponding services enables the evaluation of the information listed above. In addition, this also allows the click behaviour to be recorded and evaluated. We use this data for statistical purposes and to optimise the content of our news. This enables us to better tailor the information and offers in our emails to the individual interests of the respective recipient. The tracking pixel is deleted when you delete the email.

If you would like to prevent the use of the web beacon in our e-mails, please set your e-mail programme so that no HTML is displayed in messages, if this is not already the case by default. You can find instructions on how to do this here, for example.

You can find out more about our tracking tools below:

Google Analytics

Our website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc, 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, USA or Google Iland Limited, Gordon House Barrow St, Dublin 4, Ireland. Google Analytics uses methods that enable an analysis of the use of the website, such as cookies (see "What are cookies and when are they used?"). The information generated by a cookie about your use of this website, as listed above, is transferred to servers of Google, a company of the holding company Alphabet Inc. in the USA and stored there. The IP address is shortened by activating the IP anonymisation ("anonymizeIP") on this website before transmission within the member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area or Switzerland. The anonymised IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. In these cases, we ensure through contractual guarantees that Google maintains a sufficient level of data protection.

The information is used to evaluate the use of the website, to compile reports on the activities on the website and to provide other services associated with the use of the website and the use of the Internet for the purposes of market research and the design of the website in line with requirements. This information may also be transferred to third parties if this is required by law or if third parties process this data on behalf of Google. According to Google, under no circumstances will the IP address be associated with other data relating to the user.

Users can prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookie and related to the use of the website by the user concerned (including the IP address) by Google and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the following browser add-on.