Age UK and Breezie help over 65’s get online!
Research from Age UK shows that over five million people aged 65 and over have never been online [i]. With more and more services moving on-line and the growing popularity of social media, the leading charity for older people, Age UK, has teamed up with Breezie, a tech company, to offer a solution that helps make the most of the Internet for people who are less familiar with digital technology.
Breezie is supplied with a Samsung tablet and works by simplifying every day apps such as Facebook to make it easy for customers to get online and stay connected with friends, family and keep up to date with interests and hobbies. The system is customised at purchase with settings based on the individual’s interests and gives a nominated trusted relative or friend the ability to sign-in remotely, set-up accounts and add contacts via Breezie’s support service. It makes the internet easy — to call someone for free on Skype, all the customer needs to do is simply tap a friend’s picture in the address book and soon be talking face-to-face.
Having worked with technology giant Samsung to develop its functionality, Breezie is built on the Android platform, which means people have access to a huge range of apps which can be used for social media, shopping and online utility bills. Breezie also suggests which ones the customer might like then adds more features as they become more familiar with the system.
Helena King, Head of Affinity and Development at Age UK said: “Breezie differs from most other desktop computers and tablets in that it tackles the two main barriers to internet adoption: over-complication and lack of relevance. It is set up to meet the individual needs of the customer and evolves with them so as the customer grows more confident and becomes more comfortable with the device Breezie can help makes the Internet easier. We hope this will make a real difference to people in later life, helping to stay in touch with family and friends and access the Internet easily and quickly.”
Jeh Kazimi, Founder & CEO of Breezie said: “Breezie was inspired by my own mother trying to navigate the internet, she found it intimidating and complicated. I couldn’t find anything on the market that could make the Internet work for her so I created it myself! We are delighted to work with Age UK to address the concerns of older individuals in the UK, it worked for my mum and I know it can help so many others too.”
Breezie is available to buy through the Age UK website and can be ordered by telephone from February 2014. The system comes with a choice of an 8” or 10” Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 touch-screen tablet, a protective case, one year’s free support and access to Breezie’s online support centre. For more information call 0800 917 7588 (9am-6pm, Monday – Friday) or go to www.ageuk.org.uk/breezie.
Breezie specifications:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 – 10.1 inch screen
Platform: Android, customised with BreezieOS
Size: about 6.9” x 9.6” x 0.3”
Weight: about 18oz
Display: 10.1 inch, 1280×800 resolution
Camera (front): 1.3 mega pixels
Camera (back): 3 mega pixels
Connectivity: WiFi
Memory: 16Gb
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 – 8.0 inch screen
Platform: Android, customised with BreezieOS
Size: about 8.3” x 4.9” x 0.3”
Weight: about 11oz
Display: 8.0 inch, 1280×800 resolution
Camera (front): 1.3 mega pixels
Camera (back): 5 mega pixels
Connectivity: WiFi
Memory: 16Gb
Prices:
Bundle 1 – £329
10” Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, protective case, charger, one year’s free support and access to Breezies’s online personalisation centre.
Bundle 2- £279
8” Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, protective case, charger, one year’s free support and access to the Breezie’s online personalisation centre.
If customers decide they don’t want their Breezie for any reason, they can return it for free within the first 60 days.
Age UK
We work with our national partners, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI and our local Age UK partners in England (together the Age UK Family). We also work internationally for people in later life as a member of the DEC and with our sister charity Help Age International.
Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged, dedicated to improving later life.
We provide free information, advice and support to over six million people; commercial products and services to over one million customers; and research and campaign on the issues that matter to people in later life. Our work focuses on five key areas: money matters, health and well being, home and care, work and training and leisure and lifestyle. We work with our national partners, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI and our local Age UK partners in England (together the Age UK Family). We also work internationally for people in later life as a member of the DEC and with our sister charity Help Age International.
Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and company number 6825798). Age Concern England and Help the Aged (both registered charities), and their trading and other associated companies merged on the 1st April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group (“we”). Charitable services are offered through Age UK and commercial products are offered by the Charity’s trading companies, which donate their net profits to Age UK (the Charity).
Breezie
Breezie was chosen as one of the ’15 Most Innovative Companies In The Senior Space’ at the Life@50+ event in Las Vegas by the AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) which, with 38 million members, is one of the largest membership organisations in the United States.
Success in the US:
Chosen as one of only four companies at ‘Designing Things We Love’ panel at the Silvers Summit, Consumer Electronic Show 2014, Las Vegas.
Featured in the Innovation Zone at mHealth in Washington DC, 2013
Featured at the Bloomberg Longevity Economy Conference in NYC, 2013
Signed up a three-year exclusive deal with Harvard Medical to seamlessly integrate its ‘Aging Health’ content into a Breezie experience.
Success in the UK:
Chosen as one of the 15 flagships by NHS for its Widening Digital Participation programme, 2014
Panellist at the National Digital Conference, 2013 on a panel run by Martha Lane-Fox.
Statistics:
According to ONS data Q1 2013, 6,104,000 of UK adults over the age of 55 have never used the internet. More than half of these UK adults (3,082,000) are over 75 years of age.
Further, 73% of UK women aged 75 and over have never used the internet, compared to 56% of UK men aged 75 and over.
About Jeh Kazimi (Founder & CEO, Breezie)
Breezie founder, Jeh, has a degree in engineering and an MBA from London Business School. Before he set out to build Breezie – driven by his own attempts to teach his parents to use apps like Skype – he worked in venture capital, building internet start-ups in the UK, US and Israel. Prior to that, Jeh built a software consulting business in the UK, attracting clients like United Utilities and National Grid and was a part of the team that launched one of India’s largest telecom companies, Reliance Telecom. He lives with his wife and two sons, and works, in Richmond-Upon-Thames.
This winter, 24,000 older people could die because of the cold. Please add your voice to our campaign, and tell your MP we need warm homes. #spreadthewarmth #warmhomes
[i] Later Life in the United Kingdom, Age UK Dec 2013
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