JouleOps Privacy Policy
This policy explains what the JouleOps mobile and web application collects, why, and what happens to it. JouleOps is operated by Smart Joules Private Limited ("Smart Joules", "we", "us"), New Delhi, India.
1. Who this app is for
JouleOps is a workplace application for HVAC field operations. It is used by employees of Smart Joules and by staff of the client organisations whose sites we service. Accounts are created either by an administrator invitation or by a signup request that an administrator must approve — there is no anonymous or self-serve public access, and the app is not directed to children.
Where you use JouleOps as part of your job for an employer or client organisation, that organisation is the controller of your work records and Smart Joules processes them on its behalf. Requests about your data may be referred to that organisation.
2. What we collect
| Data | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Account details — name, work email, phone number, job role, employer and the sites you are assigned to | To create and secure your account, and to show you only the sites you are authorised for. |
| Sign-in credentials — a password (stored only as a one-way hash, never in readable form), or a Google or Apple sign-in identifier if you use those | To authenticate you. We never receive your Google or Apple password. |
| Precise location — captured only at the moment you record an attendance check-in, check-out or shift sign-off | To confirm you were at the assigned site (geofence verification) when the attendance record was made. We do not track your location in the background or between these actions. |
| Photos and signatures — images you capture or select, and signatures you draw, while completing maintenance checklists, asset records, tickets and incident reports | These are the evidence attached to the work record. We access the camera and photo library only when you choose to attach something. |
| Work records you enter — site logs, meter and chiller readings, maintenance checklist answers, tickets, incidents, asset details, inventory entries | This is the operational purpose of the app. |
| Usage and diagnostic data — screens opened and time spent on them, app version, device model, operating system, and a device identifier generated by the app | To understand which parts of the app are used, to support you when something goes wrong, and to fix defects. This is collected by our own servers; we do not use third-party advertising or analytics SDKs. |
| Activity logs — sign-in events and a record of changes made to data, with a timestamp and your user account | Security, auditability and accountability for operational records. |
| Push notification token — an identifier issued to your app installation | To deliver work notifications such as ticket assignments and reminders. |
We do not collect your contacts, calendar, messages, call logs, microphone audio, health data, financial account data, or the contents of other apps.
3. How we use it
- To operate the app and deliver the field-operations service to your organisation.
- To verify attendance and site presence.
- To route work to the right person and notify them about it.
- To produce operational and service-level reports for the client whose site you work on.
- To secure accounts, investigate misuse, and meet audit obligations.
- To diagnose faults and improve the app.
We do not sell your personal data, share it with data brokers, or use it for advertising or any form of automated decision-making that produces legal effects.
4. Working offline
JouleOps is built to work without a network connection. Work you record offline is stored in an encrypted-at-rest database on your own device and is uploaded to our servers when connectivity returns. Signing out clears the app's local database from the device — this is deliberate, because devices are shared between operators.
5. Who we share it with
We share data only with the following categories of recipient:
- Your organisation. Your managers, supervisors and administrators, and the client organisation whose site you are assigned to, can see the work records, attendance and activity associated with your account.
- Service providers who host or transmit data for us, bound by contract to
process it only on our instructions:
- Amazon Web Services — application hosting, database and file storage (Oregon, United States)
- Google — sign-in with Google, where you choose it
- Apple — Sign in with Apple, where you choose it
- Expo — push notification delivery and over-the-air app updates
- Our email and WhatsApp messaging providers — to deliver notifications and client reports
- Authorities, where we are required to disclose by law, or to establish or defend a legal claim.
Our servers are located in the United States, so data collected in India is transferred and stored there under appropriate contractual safeguards.
6. How long we keep it
Operational and audit records are retained for as long as your organisation's contract with Smart Joules requires them, and thereafter for any period required by law. Usage and diagnostic data is retained for up to 24 months. When an account is deactivated, sign-in access ends immediately; the work records that account created are retained, because they form part of the site's operational and compliance history.
7. How we protect it
- All traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS).
- Data at rest is stored on encrypted cloud infrastructure.
- Passwords are stored only as salted one-way hashes and cannot be read by us.
- Access is restricted by role and by site assignment, and administrative access is logged.
- Sessions expire and require re-authentication.
No system is perfectly secure, but we take these measures seriously and review them as the product changes.
8. Your choices and rights
- Permissions. Location, camera, photo and notification access are requested when first needed and can be withdrawn at any time in your device settings. Withdrawing location permission means attendance check-in cannot be verified and that feature will stop working; the rest of the app continues to function.
- Access and correction. You can view and correct your profile in the app, and you may ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Deletion. You may request deletion of your personal data. We will comply except where we must retain records for your organisation's contractual, audit or legal requirements, and we will tell you which of those applies.
- Complaints. You may raise a concern with us at the address below, or with your data protection authority.
To exercise any of these, write to arun.kumar@smartjoules.in or dhanushya.b@smartjoules.in. We respond within 10 days.
9. Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle personal data we will update this page and move the "last updated" date above. Material changes will also be notified in the app.
10. Contact us
Smart Joules Private Limited
New Delhi, India
arun.kumar@smartjoules.in
dhanushya.b@smartjoules.in