CivicInfo BC is a government information hub in British Columbia, Canada. The incorporated, not-for-profit society functions as a data aggregator providing online information services to local governments in the province. In its role as a municipal information agency, CivicInfo is committed to prioritizing data protection and privacy, especially in relation to online practices.
This is how Surveypal’s Canadian-hosted survey platform enabled CivicInfo to comply with Canadian data privacy laws.
Data stored in the (Canadian) cloud
Storing data in the cloud is one thing, but where the server is located is another thing. After their survey solution provider shut down operations in the country, CivicInfo BC was looking for an online survey platform compliant with privacy regulations according to which all data collected by both public and private organizations must be stored within Canadian borders.
“Several years ago, our Canadian-hosted survey software provider was acquired by a US-based competitor and subsequently decommissioned. We were stunned. As a public sector agency that works with local governments, Canadian data residency was a ‘must-have’ for us, and there were few alternatives available.”
Todd Pugh
Executive Director, CIvicInfo BC
In addition to a solution that guaranteed Canadian data residency, CivicInfo wanted to make sure that the tool was easy to use and offered robust features and integrations that would meet their requirements and address their needs. Enter Surveypal.
Survey software hosted in Canada
Surveypal is no stranger to data privacy and regulation compliancy. We’ve always been committed to protecting the individual’s right to their personal information and have taken steps to ensure alignment with relevant legislation – such as the European GDPR. In this context, it became apparent very early on that Canadian survey hosting would be beneficial not only to government institutions but also to privately held Canadian enterprises looking to manage their survey data in accordance with the country’s legal framework.
Surveypal runs on Microsoft Azure and our physically located in Canada servers provide a secure option for hosting survey data that meet government privacy regulations. Surveypal’s platform allowed CivicInfo to resume daily operations with no further interruptions and continue collecting and analyzing feedback from various stakeholders.
“While our previous software provider was moving out of the country, Surveypal worked with us to fill the gap, setting up a Canadian presence that met all our business requirements. Our transition to the Surveypal platform was seamless, and we couldn’t be happier with the product.”
Todd Pugh
Ready, set, survey!
In its role as an information hub, CivicInfo BC is committed to serving Canadian local governments with data ranging from municipal budget figures to the price of a business license. Surveypal provides them with the right tools to collect all this data effectively and efficiently.
“Surveypal has provided CivicInfo BC with an easy-to-use, versatile survey platform. With professional reporting tools, top-notch support, and a powerful API, Surveypal has been a great fit for us. And while the software itself is excellent, what consistently impresses me most about Surveypal is the people behind it. Not only do they respond quickly if we have questions, but on a regular basis they reach out to solicit our ideas and feedback. There are days when we feel more like Surveypal partners than clients.”
Todd Pugh
The server infrastructure guarantees that all data collected via Surveypal by private and public sector organizations resides within Canadian borders and is available for all Canadian Surveypal users.
Interested in learning more about CivicInfo and their Canadian public sector solutions? Click here.
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