Retail cannabis point of sale software company and part of the iQmetrix group, Cova Software today announced plans to help retailers in Canada improve protection of retail data and Canadian consumer information by migrating all Canadian cannabis retail data to Azure Canada-Central located in Toronto. The move is set to begin on Sept. 27.

Currently, Cova hosts its data in the United States, which is in compliance with PIPEDA and relevant provincial legislation. However, ahead of legalization on Oct. 17, Cova is creating a footprint in Canada to host all customer Personally Identifiable Information (PII). After the move, all Canadian customer data will remain in Canada.

"Cova understands how important data privacy and cannabis retail data protection are to our retailers and their customers, especially given the recent media attention on cross-border travel," said Cova CEO, Gary Cohen. "That's why we are going the extra mile to secure PII in Canada, over and above the current legal requirements. Moreover, as a Canadian company, we believe a proactive approach to data protection is critical, and by hosting data in Canada we are not only adding an extra layer of security, but we are giving retailers and their customers' peace of mind."

With a move to Canada, cannabis retailers operating throughout the country can trust that Cova Software's integrated point of sale system is secured safely and in turn can assure customers that their information will remain in Canada, where cannabis is legal.

"We want retailers to understand how critical it is to find a cannabis retail technology partner that can protect sensitive cannabis retail data," added Cohen. "Because Cova is in the iQmetrix family — a leading provider of retail management in the cellular industry — we have the most robust data protection solution in the cannabis industry. By sharing organizational infrastructure, we leverage this system at a much lower cost, truly taking advantage of the economies of scale that iQmetrix brings."

The infrastructure that powers Cova Software securely handles more than $16 billion across 200 million transactions every year from Canadian and American companies. Cova is part of an organization that is SSAE18 and PCI-DSS level one complaint and undergoes third-party audits on internal process, change management, physical security, personnel backgrounds, and data infrastructure security.