MyLife Digital

MyLife Digital, founded in 2014 by J Cromack, John Hall, and Jeffrey Thomas, established itself as a key player in the consent and preference management platform market. The company was created with the forward-thinking principle that individuals should have control over the use of their personal data, a concept that predated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Co-founder J Cromack, with over 25 years of experience in the marketing and data sectors, was instrumental in shaping the company's vision, having previously co-founded the data consultancy Wood for Trees. His extensive background in customer engagement and data analytics fueled MyLife Digital's mission.

In April 2021, the UK-based firm was acquired by DataGuard, a German data privacy and information security company. This strategic acquisition integrated MyLife Digital’s technology into DataGuard's suite, creating an end-to-end data privacy solution and expanding DataGuard's footprint in the UK. Prior to this, MyLife Digital had been acquired by the Inc & Co group, which held it for approximately eight months before the sale to DataGuard. The company's journey also included its own acquisition of Wood for Trees in 2015.

The core of MyLife Digital's business was its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, initially named Consentric. This platform was designed to help organizations navigate the complexities of personal data management, enabling them to build trust and improve engagement with their customers through data transparency. The platform allowed businesses to collect personal data, consents, and preferences across all consumer touchpoints, such as online portals or contact centers, while maintaining a complete audit trail. This capability ensured compliance with various global privacy regulations, including GDPR, CCPA, and LGPD. For clients, typically marketing teams and data compliance officers, the platform offered applications to generate greater insights from their customer base, thereby enhancing marketing campaigns without fear of non-compliance. Revenue was generated through bespoke packages and a Salesforce application, which integrated with clients' existing systems.

Following the acquisition, MyLife Digital's platform was rebranded as DataGuard Consent. This new offering operates as an integral part of DataGuard's "Privacy-as-a-Service" solution. It provides individuals with a portal to view their data history with an organization and control what is shared, which helps client organizations increase opt-in rates and boost customer engagement. The platform's flexible API allows for easy integration with existing software landscapes, like Salesforce, centralizing and synchronizing individual data usage choices to maintain a clear compliance record.

Keywords: consent management, preference management, data privacy, GDPR compliance, SaaS, data protection, customer data platform, Privacy-as-a-Service, personal data management, data transparency, audit trail, CCPA compliance, LGPD compliance, consumer data control, DataGuard Consent, data governance, marketing compliance, J Cromack, Consentric, data relationship management