Recital 5

ICT intra-group subcontractors that provide ICT services means digital and data services provided through ICT systems to one or more internal or external users on an ongoing basis, including hardware as a service and hardware services which includes the provision of technical support via software or firmware updates by the hardware provider, excluding traditional analogue telephone services; that support critical or important functions means a function, the disruption of which would materially impair the financial performance of a financial entity, or the soundness or continuity of its services and activities, or the discontinued, defective or failed performance of that function would materially impair the continuing compliance of a financial entity with the conditions and obligations of its authorisation, or with its other obligations under applicable financial services law; or material parts thereof, including ICT intra-group subcontractors that are fully or collectively owned by financial entitiesas defined in Article 2, points (a) to (t) within the same institutional protection scheme, should be considered as ICT subcontractors.