Corporate Social Responsibility

As a successful company with a global footprint, and in line with our core values, SoftwareONE and its founders are committed to strengthening its policies and disclosure with the aim of having a positive impact for our clients, people and the wider society we are part of. SoftwareONE is committed to operating its business as an ethical company, with integrity and as a good corporate citizen. In addition to respecting all relevant laws, regulations and standards in all of the countries in which the group operates, SoftwareONE has introduced codes of conduct both for employees and business partners, which in certain areas contain even higher standards.

Code of Conduct for employees

The Code of Conduct is binding for all units, companies and employees of SoftwareONE and applies in addition to all relevant laws, regulations and standards of all countries in which SoftwareONE operates. It contains, among others, rules on labor standards, discrimination and harassment, and anti-corruption. By complying with these regulations and helping to assert them, we are protecting SoftwareONE, its employees, customers and partners from harmful behavior. All SoftwareONE employees are required to complete mandatory online Code of Conduct trainings on a regular basis, most recently at the beginning of 2021. Employees are required to pass a test in the form of a quiz and sign the Code of Conduct.

Code of Conduct for SoftwareONE business partners

SoftwareONE requires its business partners, including suppliers, distributors, contractors and others entering into a contractual relationship with SoftwareONE, to adhere to applicable laws and regulations as well as to SoftwareONE’s values and standards. These pertain, for example, to supporting internationally proclaimed human rights, such as prohibition of child labor, adequate measures to protect the health and safety of employees, prohibition of discrimination, anti-corruption provisions, and compliance with competition and antitrust, national bidding and/or procurement, export control as well as data protection and privacy laws.

Core values

SoftwareONE’s business success is driven by a highly qualified, motivated and empowered global workforce that embodies its results-oriented, customer-first company culture and its core values speed, customer focus, employee satisfaction, humble, passion, integrity and discipline.

Our people

We are ONE team formed by people with unique and diverse backgrounds. We strive to foster an equal and inclusive culture and workplace that allows individuals to be the best version of themselves, learn from each other and grow in their careers. We are convinced that mutual respect and an open dialog across hierarchies are key ingredients for fostering creativity and innovation, and lead to the best solutions for all stakeholders of the company.

SoftwareONE continues to invest significantly in organic growth and hired 1,525 people in 2020, of which 35% were women and 65% men. We thus employed 6,219 staff as at 31 December 2020, excluding the 1,450 colleagues that joined us from Intergrupo, as the formal closing of the transaction was at the beginning of 2021.

The tables below provide an overview of the number of employees (in full-time equivalent) employed by SoftwareONE, broken down by geographic region and other people metrics, in the last four years:

Diversity, equity and inclusion

As a global company, SoftwareONE is diverse and international by its very nature. We believe this is pivotal to successfully navigating an ever-changing global economy and complex technology landscape. We strive to nurture an inclusive culture that is supportive to everyone, a place where we focus on individual needs and everybody is treated equitably regardless of gender, race, sexuality, disability and religion.

SoftwareONE has numerous ongoing initiatives specifically dedicated to equity and inclusion, which we regard to be key to innovation and disruption as diverse perspectives lead to better ideas. We endeavor to nurture a culture that unites people and includes perspectives that reflect the diverse groups we interact with internally and externally around the world. One initiative was the creationof an information hub on our intranet that gives every employee the possibility to learn about unconscious bias and provides materials on how to productively converse on sensitive topics like race, gender, sexuality, disability and religion. SoftwareONE’s internal e-learning experience platform FUSE also has a dedicated topic around equity and inclusion, and the learning paths it contains focus on unconscious bias and include an introduction to disability and accessibility. Another initiative we have introduced is specific education for hiring managers, aimed at helping them better understand unconscious bias during the selection process for new hires. SoftwareONE's in-house training program ‘Inspire Through Culture’ challenges employees to think about the stereotypes and assumptions they have and how they can alter these. The company has also partnered with Microsoft to drive digital inclusion strategies to help ensure its employees and customers are aware of and able to utilize the leading-edge features on the O365 platform and beyond. Providing workplace tools and features that are inclusive are a priority for us. And last but not least, SoftwareONE holds quarterly culture days to celebrate global diversity and educate employees on the many cultures that unite SoftwareONE.

Triggered by the events around Black Lives Matter, we have given every employee at SoftwareONE the possibility to learn about unconscious bias and provide materials that can help when having conversation on sensitive topics such as race, gender, sexuality, disability and religion. We fully acknowledge that racism is one aspect in the broader topic of inclusion, equality and diversity. We are aware that we can do more and are committed to listening, learning and enhancing our inclusive and diverse culture. We do not have all the answers, but we believe that by continuing to learn and educate ourselves, we will continue to improve.

In terms of gender distribution, our employee population comprised 63% males, 37% females and 0.2% trans or other specific gender denominations as at the end of 2020. As an equal opportunities employer, our workforce consists of people of 82 different nationalities, speaking 32 languages and representing all of the major religious groups.

People development and talent acquisition

SoftwareONE continues to invest significantly in its employees and supports their professional and personal development through a number of programs, including international assignments, education grants and learning and development support. This is done regionally, based on market maturity and need, and is delivered through a mix of digital activities via FUSE, the dedicated learning experience platform. In addition, the company has developed its own ‘Transitions Framework’ centered around ‘Success Competencies’ that fosters the growth of its employees in alignment with our core values. SoftwareONE also established the President’s Club, an employee recognition event held every year in different locations that celebrates outstanding employee contributions across regions and functions and gives staff the possibility to spend some time with members of the Board of Directors, the Executive Board and the extended leadership team, and learn from their experience.

In our efforts to find the right talent, we raise awareness on the diverse nature of our existing employee base. We have further enhanced our promotion and recruitment processes with artificial intelligence technology and training to remove unconscious bias. By creating a fairer, more transparent decision-making process, supported by dedicated assessment tools, the group strives to live up to its high standards of equality, diversity and inclusion and ensure it is default neutral and unbiased with regard to candidates’ backgrounds. This should lead to improved opportunities for all of our current and future talent. SoftwareONE has also partnered with PowerToFly, a leading technology sector portal for female talent. As part of this partnership, SoftwareONE will have a dedicated landing page, advertise all job openings, be able to proactively source within female talent groups, post blogs showcasing its female talent and host virtual career fairs for invited guests throughout the year. These measures aim to attract a wide range of female candidates with different skill sets. In addition, SoftwareONE has added equal opportunity statements to all of its job postings and has a dedicated section on its careers website specifically covering diversity, equity and inclusion.

Employee satisfaction

At SoftwareONE we know that happy people perform better. To gauge employee satisfaction, we conduct an annual employee engagement survey which is designed to measure and improve engagement, satisfaction and performance. The feedback and ideas received from employees through this survey are a fundamental part of SoftwareONE’s culture and essential to shaping the direction of SoftwareONE. We have continued to improve the employee experience and SoftwareONE’s vision is to be seen as a platform for people with passion. The 2020 employee engagement survey had an 88% response rate compared to 80% one year ago, a testament to our believ that people want to be heard and provide their feedback. Details of the 2020 survey results and a comparison with 2019, where available and applicable, can be found in the following graph, measured on a scale from zero to 100:

At SoftwareONE, we cultivate an open-door policy at all levels a flat hierarchical environment of trust and mutual respect. This culture encourages transparency, trust, openness, communication, feedback and discussion among all employees. To underpin this, we introduced ONEvoice, an internal e-platform with the aim of capturing all feedback and ideas on how we can improve for the benefit of all our stakeholders. This new function was introduced last year, based on feedback received in the 2020 employee engagement survey to increase the speed of problem solving within SoftwareONE. Additionally, to feel the company’s pulse and understand our people’s state of mind, we introduced the global StaySWOmie initiative. The aim is that leaders receive and provide direct feedback from and to employees to learn about what makes them feel proud, inspired, and where they face challenges and issues that they need help with. Ultimately, this gives us a possibility to learn from each other and enables leaders to gain a better understanding of factors that foster engagement and motivate people to work together more effectively as a team.

The health and well-being of our people is key to SoftwareONE and for years, we have offered a flexible working hours model to give them the possibility to participate in activities that contribute to their personal well-being and enable them to achieve an optimal work-life balance. When the first signs of an outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in parts of Asia, SoftwareONE proactively communicated with all employees to create awareness and inform them about the current situation and the measures being taken by the company. Travel restrictions were immediately implemented, all offices at the affected locations were closed and remote working was initiated within days. Because every employee was already equipped with a laptop to give them the maximum mobility and flexibility, they were able to continue to provide our clients with the same high-quality service they were accustomed to. Local SoftwareONE HR teams have provided employees with relevant information according to the specific situation in each country. For this purpose, an information hub was created on SharePoint, where all global updates and frequently asked questions are made available. The hub also includes a section for parents that provides inspiration on how to best educate children at home and contains ideas on indoor activities to keep children motivated and entertained during the day.

With a view to supporting our employees, the hub also provides ideas and suggestions on how to adjust to working remotely, including a LinkedIn learning path on managing the impact of adjusting to the new work environment and creating a healthy work-life balance, and offers training for leaders in managing and leading remote teams. With two global campaigns around health and happiness and ‘happy at home’, additional guidance is offered to help employees adjust to working from home in a healthy way. In both campaigns, extra attention was placed on the mental well-being of our employees.

Management

SoftwareONE’s management is a cohesive, highly experienced global team with extensive experience in a variety of industries and a track record of achieving consistent growth and margin expansion. The leadership team has also successfully led the company through its strategic repositioning from a reseller of software to an end-to-end technology solutions provider that also sells software, as well as the strategic acquisition of Comparex completed in 2019, among other ongoing strategic acquisitions.

Compensation and rewards

As outlined in the Compensation Report, the SoftwareONE compensation philosophy extends to all of its employees and focuses on attracting, motivating and retaining the best talent in a highly competitive global environment. The group’s globally aligned incentive pay structure is based on gross profit, EBITDA, profitable customer acquisition or functional targets set in accordance with the employee's function or seniority.

The company offers a competitive employee benefit structure in accordance with the legal requirements and market/industry practices. Pension plans are maintained throughout the various countries where SoftwareONE employees are based, with the majority of its pension liabilities deriving from Switzerland. In addition, the company offers a number of recognition programs including its reward platform ‘Motivosity’, which enables all employees to recognize each other for living up to SoftwareONE’s core values as well as a number of incentive programs culminating in one of the year’s highlights, the annual President’s Club.

Labor standards

SoftwareONE supports and respects the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights. It ensures that it is not complicit in human rights abuses. As far as any relevant laws allow, all employees are free to form and to join or not to join trade unions or similar external representative organizations and to bargain collectively. SoftwareONE is subject to collective bargaining agreements or similar labor contracts in Brazil and Mexico. In certain other jurisdictions, including Spain, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands, a workers’ council is in place. Forced, bonded or compulsory labor is not used, and employees are free to leave their employment after reasonable notice as required by national law or contract. No person is employed who is below the minimum legal age for employment.

Discrimination and harassment

SoftwareONE is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations relating to equal employment opportunity, non-discrimination and similar employee-related matters. All employees are treated with respect and dignity at all times, in line with the company values. SoftwareONE operates a zero-tolerance policy on harassment and discrimination of any kind. This includes but is not limited to physical or verbal abuse, physical or sexual harassment (in any form, including the distribution of sexual material), any other unlawful harassment or any threats or other forms of intimidation. All kinds of discrimination based on partiality or prejudice are prohibited, including discrimination based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, nationality, social status and any other characteristic protected by local law as applicable.

Integrity / whistleblowing line by EQS

In accordance with SoftwareONE’s commitment to operating its business as an ethical company, SoftwareONE has implemented a new and secure externally managed alternative channel to disclose improper or unlawful misconduct outlined in SoftwareONE’s Code of Conduct. Since 2020, the SoftwareONE Integrity Line, run by EQS, is available 24/7 for all employees under the following link. With an entrepreneurial culture and integrity at its core, SoftwareONE encourages everyone to report inappropriate, unethical or illegal conduct occurring in the company and fosters a safe environment where employees are expected to speak up. If an issue cannot be discussed with the direct superior, the SoftwareONE Integrity Line is in place as a way to raise concerns – if preferred, anonymously. The aim is to help prevent situations from escalating and allow the company to remedy untoward or even illegal situations, preferably at an early stage. The process that has been put in place provides a secure communication channel between the reporter and a SoftwareONE Compliance Officer, enabling an anonymous exchange to cover further questions and clarifications during the investigation process.

Conflicts of interest

Employees and other representatives of SoftwareONE must base their decisions on the best interests of SoftwareONE, thus avoiding conflicts of interest, along with legal and ethical considerations. Any situation that may present a conflict of interest with the company must be disclosed internally, to allow for appropriate action to be taken in order to avoid actual, potential or apparent conflicts of interest.

Privacy and data protection

All SoftwareONE employees must comply with all applicable data protection and privacy laws and ensure that any personal data is obtained properly, kept securely and is used only for those business purposes for which the data was obtained. Details are defined in SoftwareONE's IT policies and IT end-user policy.

Due to the increasingly data driven nature of SoftwareONE’s services and solutions portfolio, laws and regulations governing the protection of personally identifiable information and other data relating to individuals can have a significant impact on its business. The most important data protection regulation to which the group’s operations are subject is the European Union’s Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR), which came into effect in May 2018.

The GDPR is a uniform framework laying down principles for legitimate data processing in the European Union. Compared to its predecessor, the Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC), the GDPR entails significantly stricter requirements for data protection, in particular for international data transfers, data mapping and accountability, processor (service provider) obligations, and the requirement to designate a Data Protection Officer. The GDPR introduces substantial sanctions for non-compliance and, depending on the nature of the infringed provision, may consist of civil liabilities, criminal sanctions and/or administrative fines. Administrative fines can amount to EUR 20 million or up to 4% of the total worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher, for each infraction.

SoftwareONE has incurred and expects to continue to incur costs to implement various measures throughout its operations (including appropriate training of employees, fulfillment of additional documentation duties, adjustments of processes and monitoring by its data protection and compliance teams) as a result of the GDPR.

SoftwareONE is committed to safeguarding its intellectual property, including trademarks, service marks, patents, copyrights and trade secrets, as well as protecting the intellectual property of others.

Impact on society

Supporting NGOs in their digital transformation

According to a Digital NGO Member Survey by NetHope, many non-profits stated they lack a comprehensive digital strategy and wish to implement the latest technology. However, they struggle to envision, design and deploy technology to optimize their missions. This is one of the reasons that SoftwareONE has established a dedicated global team that offers digitization and transformation solutions ensuring that +3,000 non-profits stay up to date and ahead of the technology curve as the world delves deeper into the digital age. It is committed to delivering relevant, affordable and innovative solutions to help non-profits to embark on and accelerate their digital transformation. We bring technology within reach of non-profit organizations by leveraging our global market presence and expertise. We provide the same portfolio of solutions and services to non-profits that are offered to corporate customers, at a reduced price and with customizations to support specific use cases. We are observing increased demand for SoftwareONE’s bundled solutions and managed services offerings around workplace and datacenter cloud platforms and thus plan further growth and innovation in this area. Through these efforts, SoftwareONE can positively influence sustainable development goals such as eliminating poverty and hunger, quality education, equality for all humans and climate action, to name a few. SoftwareONE’s vision in this area is to be a ‘worldwide community enabler’ and empower non-profits to become more productive and innovative so they ultimately have a greater impact on the world’s most critical social and environmental issues. To this end, SoftwareONE joins forces with partners to support non-profit organizations in their efforts to address these challenges.

One such collaboration is our work with Welthungerhilfe, one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany. The organization opted for a unified communication solution based on Microsoft Skype for Business, which we implemented and fully manage. Having a modern, responsive workplace and meeting room environment has enabled Welthungerhilfe to more easily focus on its aid projects to fight global hunger and thus pursue its vision. We also supported Helen Keller International, which provides life-changing healthcare in remote locations. When COVID-19 struck, the organization needed a reliable, simple and secure way for workers around the world to sign on, collaborate and communicate regardless of their location. SoftwareONE helped the Helen Keller team to develop an Azure Identity Management strategy to better manage its future workplace environment using Microsoft 365, while reducing its costs and management time. Helen Keller staff can now even better focus their efforts on delivering care to vulnerable families, and their technology supports these efforts.

Environment

While SoftwareONE is not engaged in a business of producing, processing or transporting goods with a major impact on the environment, it is aware that its service delivery, in particular related to its cloud services, requires substantial energy resources. In its Environmental Policy , the group has committed to continuously evaluate new ways to reduce energy consumption and to ensure the responsible use of energy throughout the company, including conserving energy, improving energy efficiency and giving preference to renewable over non-renewable energy sources.

SoftwareONE also endeavors to reduce or eliminate waste of all types by implementing appropriate conservation measures, e.g. by recycling, re-using, or substituting materials.

Social initiatives

In 2020, SoftwareONE laid the basis for the creation of its own foundation with the aim of acting as a primary platform to support long-term sustainable initiatives that have a positive impact on society beyond the company’s day-to-day business activities. SoftwareONE has supported projects with a similar vision tha focus on delivering sustainable benefit in the four key areas environment, education, charity and people. All projects are connected to SoftwareONE’s physical footprint and center around the company’s geographic locations. We have flexible culture teams across the globe, composed of dedicated and passionate employees, who act as guardians of our culture and core values. Not only do they bring employees together by organizing fun, social and cultural events, more importantly, they come up with ideas on how the company can sponsor and support local programs, focusing on strengthening the group’s culture and community service activities in order to have a positive impact on society.

During the race-related conflicts in the US in 2020, SoftwareONE’s leadership team, especially in the most affected region, reacted immediately by addressing its US community. The conflicts were discussed in order to give SoftwareONE employees the opportunity to speak about the matter, share their fears, concerns and perspectives, and support each other. Furthermore, SoftwareONE actively involved its global culture teams to address these complex topics not only in the US but globally. SoftwareONE sourced books on racial inequality and asked the culture teams to share these internally.

Additional initiatives organized by local teams included an online show, where employees in Brazil raised money for Friends of Citizenship, an NGO that supports the local community. In Germany, 100 employees registered to donate for bone marrow to help fight leukemia in partnership with the Deutsche KnochenMarkSpenderdatei. In Australia, employees participated in Movember, a global campaign that brings back moustaches in an effort to raise funds for mental health, suicide prevention and prostate and testicular cancer research. During the global pandemic, SoftwareONE employees supported those in need by making face masks, 3D-printed face shields and by donating blood. Drawings made by children and handwritten post cards were sent to nursing homes to cheer up the elderly who couldn’t receive visitors. Our culture teams supported our employees by organizing virtual events, creating content to entertain children who were being schooled at home and sending support boxes filled with goodies to people during the working-from-home period. We also give our employees the possibility to donate to a cause through our reward platform ‘Motivosity’. In 2020, we collected a total of USD 19,216, which we donated to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, Ocean Cleanup and Doctors Without Borders. In addition to local initiatives, SoftwareONE has committed to globally support initiatives in the host countries of its annual President’s Club. In 2020, participants of the President’s Club in Colombia were to help install solar panels and maintain the gardens and orchard of the Juanfe foundation. Due to the pandemic, the President’s Club event had to be canceled, and instead, SoftwareONE provided financial support for the installation of the solar panels, ultimately helping the Juanfe Foundation to save money and increase their environmental commitment.

Examples of SoftwareONE’s culture teams efforts across the world can be found here.

Anti-corruption, ethical business conduct

SoftwareONE tolerates no form of extortion or bribery, including improper offers for payments to or from, or improper entertainment of, employees or organizations. It forbids bribery of office holders, clients, business partners, suppliers, or any other person, accepting improper payments from such persons or inciting these persons to such behavior in order to achieve unfair advantages.

SoftwareONE stipulates that any payment, benefit, gift or contribution received by its personnel from any current or prospective customer, supplier, business partner or a related third party must not only comply with the applicable laws but must also be consistent with ethical business and local cultural practices and must not be intended to improperly influence business decisions. Equally, any payment in kind, benefit, gift or contribution made by SoftwareONE personnel to any current or prospective customer, supplier, business partner or a related third party must comply with the applicable laws, be consistent with ethical business and local cultural practices and must not be intended to improperly influence business decisions.

SoftwareONE is committed to complying with all applicable competition and antitrust laws and regulations. It also strives to comply with all applicable export control regulations to prevent the proliferation of software and/or technology that can be used for military purposes. Furthermore, the group is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and good neighbor. This means it is aware of and respects the traditions, business customs, social norms and expectations of host countries and makes every effort to pursue the right course of action.

Quality certifications

SoftwareONE is certified to international standards on systems management, including ISO 9001:2008 on quality management systems, ISO 14001:2015 on environmental management systems, and ISO 27001:2005 on information security management (in respect of the entities acquired as part of the acquisition of COMPAREX, with rollout to the entire IT organization in progress).

EcoVadis CSR “Bronze” rating

The EcoVadis CSR assessment is a ranking based on performance monitoring for corporate social responsibility (CSR) that provides a comparison of the environmental and social practices of companies of different sizes, industries and locations. It considers a range of CSR issues, which are grouped into the four themes of environment, labor practices and human rights, fair business practices and sustainable procurement. The CSR issues analyzed are based on international CSR standards such as the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, the ISO 26000 standard, the Ceres Roadmap and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

For its efforts in the area of CSR, SoftwareONE achieved a ‘Bronze’ rating in the EcoVadis CSR assessment in 2020. SoftwareONE’s EcoVadis Score Card increased from 46 points in 2019 to 52 points in 2020 thanks to the efforts of its employees in the areas of ethics, sustainable procurement, the environment, labor and human rights. However, due to a change in the CSR rating methodologies of EcoVadis, the year-on-year rating for SoftwareONE changed from Silver to Bronze.

Sustainable initiatives in 2021 and beyond

Diversity, equity and inclusion

We will continue to focus on fostering greater understanding, empathy, respect and cohesion across teams by offering awareness courses focusing on unconscious bias, bystander, allyship and courageous conversations. Through a storytelling campaign, SoftwareONE employees are encouraged to share their experiences on bringing their authentic self to work. As an equitable, diverse and inclusive company, we strive to have all the right policies and processes in place. We will therefore review and, if necessary, update all relevant people and culture policies and processes in 2021. This year, SoftwareONE will also join a pilot group with iCIMS (Internet Collaborative Information Management Systems), its recruitment software provider, to help develop anonymized resumes within the platform before they are screened by a hiring manager. Anonymizing details such as the name, address and schools attended eliminates unconscious bias and leads to a more diverse pool of candidates. We believe that technology can empower people to achieve more and make the workplace more inviting and inclusive for those with disabilities. We therefore aim to educate all employees on what accessibility means, how to be respectful and inclusive of people of all abilities and how to utilize leading-edge technologies to make the workplace more inviting and inclusive for people with disabilities.

Society

We are in the process of founding the SoftwareONE Academy, with the aim of supporting technical education and providing employment opportunities across communities globally. In many countries, young talent does not have equal access to education from established universities or the opportunity to receive higher education. The Academy will identify and nurture talent and technical potential and provide both knowledge and career opportunities. Together with technology partners, local governments and other institutions, SoftwareONE will give back to society in communities where it has a business footprint in the form of digital skills and technical education, with a focus on gender- and socio-economic diversity. Initially, the SoftwareONE Academy plans to focus on delivering learning experiences related to technical skills such as application services roles. Through a blended learning model, there will be opportunities to shadow client projects and create a network of SWOmie tech mentors and coaches. The Academy program curriculum will include critical thinking, problem solving, core consulting skills as well as regular case studies and hackathon events. The aim is to substantially increase an individual’s employability and create a future workforce that is ready for the challenges faced by growing tech organizations, potentially as a SWOmie.

The SoftwareONE Academy’s initial target markets will include Spain, Germany, Colombia and the US and will start with up to 1,000 students. This will be followed by Costa Rica, the Philippines and Malaysia/Vietnam. The main target groups are individuals in their final year at a university, a polytechnical institution or of professional development. In Germany, considerations on how to leverage the expertise of the well-established Techteens project are underway. Since 2018, SoftwareONE employees have been mentoring children in grade eight and nine as part of the Techteens initiative to help them develop IT solutions. Since that time, around 100 students have successfully completed the program.

Given the extraordinary circumstances in 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, SoftwareONE postponed the creation of the SoftwareONE foundation  ‘ONELife’, as during this period, the priority was to focus on the well-being of our employees, customers and other stakeholders. We plan to launch the foundation in 2021 as a primary platform to support long-term sustainable initiatives that have a positive impact on society beyond the business, and envision that that it will be governed by a dedicated Board consisting of internal and external members, and supported by appropriate governance and a charter.