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---
title: "ESMA Q&A 2396 — Q&A — Definition on ICT services [Question Rejected]"
shortTitle: "ESMA Q&A 2396 — Q&A — Definition on ICT services [Question Rejected]"
answer_id: ESMA_QA_2396
topic: "ICT risk management"
status: "Question Rejected"
type: qa
instrument_type: qa
authority: ESMA
binding: false
binding_character: non_binding
legal_status: withdrawn
regulation: "DORA"
dora_level3: true
mica_level2: false
legal_basis: "Article 3 (21)"
date: 10 January 2025
source_link: https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/2396
lifecycle: "Question Rejected"
text_version: "ESMA Q&A register, 10 January 2025"
source_url: "https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/2396"
check_status: matched
verified: true
last_checked: 2026-10-26
checked_against: "the ESMA publication"
source:
  prepared_by: "not stated in the document"
  published_by: "ESMA"
  published_in: "ESMA Q&A tool"
  evidence:
    prepared_by: "ESMA_QA_2396"
    locator: "ESMA Q&A entry ESMA_QA_2396: no answer; no author named"
document_type: "qa_question"
legal_nature: "not_legislation"
addressees: "not stated in the document"
dates:
  question_submitted_on: "2025-01-10"
  locators:
    question_submitted_on: "ESMA Q&A Excel export ESMA_QA_2396, column 'Date of submission'"
lifecycle_label: "Question Rejected"
---

**Question published in the ESMA Q&A tool · no answer · not legislation [Question Rejected]**

*Question Rejected · ESMA Q&A register, 10 January 2025 · Checked against the ESMA publication on 26 Oct 2026 · [Official source](https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/2396)*

| | |
|---|---|
| **Full title** | ESMA Q&A 2396 — Q&A — Definition on ICT services \[Question Rejected\] |
| **Prepared by** | Not stated in the document |
| **Published by** | ESMA, in the ESMA Q&A tool |
| **Reference** | ESMA_QA_2396 |
| **Document type** | Q&A |
| **Legal nature** | No answer · not legislation |
| **Addressees** | Not stated in the document |
| **Dates** | Question submitted 10 January 2025 |
| **Legal basis** | Article 3 (21) |
| **Related instruments** | None recorded |
| **Text on this page** | Word for word — the full text of the ESMA publication |

**Definition on ICT services**

### Question

Article 3 (21) of DORA defines that 'ICT services’ means digital and data services provided through ICT systems to one or more internal or external users on an ongoing basis.

It is not clear whether "digital and data services" should be interpreted as:

Version one: either digital or data services (so two different of sets of activities or

Version two: services which need to be both: digital service and parallel/in the same time data service.

***

**Source:** [ESMA original document](https://www.esma.europa.eu/publications-data/questions-answers/2396)