A sub-processor is a service provider that processes personal data on our behalf. This page describes the categories of sub-processors we use for the SIM.AI website and services, what each does, and where the processing takes place.
We list our providers by category. The current named list is provided to clients on request and in our data processing agreement, and clients receive notice of changes. Data protection laws, including the UAE PDPL and the EU GDPR, allow organisations to describe recipients of personal data by category.
Categories of sub-processors
| Category | Purpose | Processing location |
|---|---|---|
| Content delivery, hosting and security | Serving the website quickly and protecting it and our edge network from attacks and abuse | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Application hosting | Running the SIM.AI platform and attendee pages | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Database hosting | Storing session settings, glossaries, records and usage reports | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Caching and message queues | Moving data quickly and reliably between parts of the platform during a live session | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Real-time audio transport | Carrying live audio from the venue to our platform and from the platform to guests’ phones | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Speech recognition | Turning the speaker’s words into text in the original language | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Machine translation and language models | Translating text into the languages the organiser has chosen | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Speech synthesis (voices) | Turning translated text into natural spoken audio | EU region by default; UAE on request |
| Email delivery | Sending notifications of website form submissions to our team | EU region by default; UAE on request |
Some providers may give technical support from other countries. Where that involves access to personal data, we require appropriate safeguards, as our privacy policy explains.
How we choose providers
Before we use a provider, we check:
- Security: the measures it has in place to protect data, including encryption in transit and access controls;
- Data protection terms: that it will process data only on our instructions and only to provide its service;
- Processing location: that it can process data in the EU region, and where possible in the UAE;
- Use of content: how its terms treat customer content, including whether the provider may use it to train its models. Our responsible AI statement sets out our position;
- Reliability: that it can support live events, where a delay matters.
How we contract with them
Every sub-processor that handles personal data is bound by a written contract with data protection obligations that are at least as protective as those in our data processing agreement with clients. This includes confidentiality, security, help with individuals’ rights, breach notification, and deletion or return of data at the end of the service.
We remain responsible to our clients for the work of our sub-processors.
Notice of changes
Before we add or replace a sub-processor that processes client personal data, we notify our clients at least 30 days in advance. Clients can object on reasonable data protection grounds, and we will work with them to find a solution, as our data processing agreement sets out.
We update this page whenever a category changes. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.
Requesting the named list
Clients and prospective clients can request the current named list of sub-processors by emailing ai@sim-trans.com. Please tell us the organisation you represent. You can also ask to receive notices of changes.
Our terms of service and security and privacy page give more detail about how we protect event content.