Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

Councilor Cocco: "An important collaboration between public and private to help the Milanese reduce distances through digital." From Samsung employees, telephone advice and suggestions to citizens to feel close to their loved ones thanks to technology 

Milan, 16 April 2020 – Milan also helps through digital education. In fact, a new telephone service created thanks to the support of Samsung electronics Italia starts today. By calling 020202 and pressing the 0 key you will have access to the “Milano Help” services and from here, by selecting the 3 key, those over 65 will have access to over 130 'Digital angels' who will provide technical advice and suggestions on how to get in touch with loved ones through technology (for example, instructions for activating video calls on Skype or Whatsapp).

“In this very particular moment, technology is proving to be an excellent ally – declares Roberta Cocco, councilor for Digital Transformation and Civic Services -. Thanks to digital, the Municipality of Milan is continuing to inform and provide essential services. Our contact center works incessantly and is a real point of reference for citizens who need assistance in emergencies. From today, thanks to Samsung, 020202 will offer older or less experienced people the chance to learn to use technology to feel close to loved ones. This is a beautiful digital education project, the result of a collaboration with a private partner who works alongside the Administration for the diffusion of digital culture in the city. Today more than ever, digital is a tool for social inclusion and it is therefore essential that all citizens have the opportunity to know and make the best use of the technology available to them". 

Samsung's 'digital angels' are technological experts who have participated in the activities of Samsung SAVE for seniors, Samsung Italia's corporate volunteering initiative, created with the aim of offering people over 65 some elements of technology that can make everyday life easier. Samsung's 'Digital angels' were trained through a course dedicated to the best management of phone calls, not only to provide assistance and training on technology, but also to keep Milanese citizens company during this period of forced isolation. This initiative, in fact, in addition to giving concrete suggestions to elderly people to get in touch with their loved ones, also offers them the possibility of feeling less alone by being able to connect with someone on the phone ready to provide them with support and comfort in this particularly difficult period.

“We are proud to give our contribution to the Municipality of Milan for the Milan helps services, with the certainty that the skills of our digital angels can concretely help the elderly of our city to get in touch with their loved ones through safe use of technology, and to feel less alone in this situation of great difficulty for all citizens, of Milan and throughout Italy", comments Giovanni Barina, Head of team of Human resources & General affairs of Samsung Electronics Italia. 

The telephone support of Samsung's 'Digital angels' is one of the actions of the complex digital education project that the company has proposed together with EMIT Feltrinelli, Assolombarda and Gray panthers and which, at the end of the emergency, will offer digital education courses in the registered offices. The four entities have in fact responded to the public notice of the Municipality of Milan for the search for activities and initiatives for the diffusion of digital culture and have presented a common proposal to help the Milanese to understand and better exploit the technology and services offered by the Administration.

Milan helps - Assistance