This article describes the difference between local projects in your library (on the device) and cloud projects that are stored in the Explain Everything cloud storage. Data residency concepts are also shown along the way.
Explain Everything apps and services
Explain Everything is not an online-only web service – it has offline apps for Android/Chrome and iOS that do not require web connection. Our system can be then assessed as two separate services:
- Online (collaborate on projects over the Web or share them in the cloud)
- Offline (create projects locally on a device, such as iPad, Android tablet or Chromebook).
The use of our online service starts at the moment when a user invites other people to collaborate on a project. This project is then uploaded to the EE cloud (running on Amazon AWS) - and all collaborators connect to that project, running in the cloud.
This also means that at this moment, Explain Everything starts to process the project data (the customer data). This is described both in our Privacy Policy and in the Terms of Use.
At this point, the data residency concept kicks in – up until this moment, the project data was stored on the device itself. Now, project data is stored in the North Virginia, US – Amazon AWS location.
The image below shows this graphically.
For all local activities (2), Explain Everything as an organization never processes any data that a customer creates. The data is stored locally on devices and projects or videos never leave them (unless the user decides to email them, export them somewhere etc.)
The same goes for the videos made out of projects made in Explain Everything EDU. They are exported on the device itself - and while it may take significant time - the project never leaves the device. Some of our customers use the app completely offline and have corresponding internal processes as far as the further storage or publishing of those videos is concerned.
It is also possible to block the EE app cloud access to our service. You can disable online storage and collaboration for all your MDM-managed devices that have Explain Everything on them.
The image below shows the data flow for the offline Explain EDU app.
Why do we have two separate privacy policies?
This is related to our "separate services" concept. The online process is realized via the Explain Everything Whiteboard app (Privacy Policy), and the offline process – by Explain EDU (here's the corresponding Privacy Policy that does not take into account the online components).
If your organization requires the data to be stored locally – you may still use the Explain EDU app for compliance with such requirements.
What to consider concerning data residency
In short – if you are concerned about data residency concepts, then you have at least three options, depending on where your organization is based:
- For an organization based in the US - the data is stored the North Virginia, US - Amazon AWS location.
- For an organization based outside of the US - if there are no data residency requirements - all is fine and you can use the EE cloud without any limitations.
- For an organization based outside of the US and with stringent data residency requirements - you may limit yourself to locally stored projects that reside only on your device.