Italiaonline, Italy\u2019s leading internet company, announces the launch of MARiO, the AI-powered virtual assistant designed to revolutionise the operations of small and medium-sized enterprises. MARiO is not just software, but a true multilingual \u2018digital colleague\u2019 capable of answering calls, capturing leads and managing appointments 24 hours a day, completely autonomously. The service is available from today to Italiaonline\u2019s more than 200,000 business customers across the peninsula.<\/p>\n
In a market where over 30% of customers switch providers if they do not receive an immediate response*, and 22% of consumers now begin their search for local businesses using AI tools**, the window of opportunity to build a relationship of trust has never been narrower. This has a tangible impact on the financial performance of Italian SMEs. MARiO solves this.<\/p>\n
Based on Vendasta technology and approved and implemented in line with privacy regulations and best practices for AI solutions, the service steps in to eliminate the loss of potential leads and transforms every potential customer into a concrete opportunity. Unlike traditional, fragmented systems, MARiO leverages Vendasta\u2019s \u2018AI Employee\u2019 infrastructure to proactively manage the customer journey, combining a company\u2019s exclusive, proprietary data with intelligent automation to eliminate the complexity of manual marketing and operational tasks. This approach forms part of Italiaonline\u2019s broader strategy to equip SMEs with advanced artificial intelligence tools capable of growing and adapting alongside each client\u2019s business: a platform designed to be progressively expanded with new features to support businesses throughout the entire lifecycle of their customer relationships.<\/p>\n
MARiO replaces the rigid phone menu system with an intelligent assistant capable of handling multiple calls simultaneously, through a seamless and intelligent interaction.<\/p>\n
Key features include:
\n\u2022 24\/7 lead capture: responds instantly via phone and web chat, in 57 languages, engaging every potential customer in real time.
\n\u2022 Front-office automation: lead pre-qualification, appointment request management and follow-up organisation directly within the CRM.
\n\u2022 Data availability: all interactions are recorded in a secure, searchable customer database, to manage every contact effectively.<\/p>\n
MARiO on TV and in cities: the \u201cMARiO turns every call into an opportunity\u201d campaign kicks off<\/strong><\/p>\n MARiO\u2019s debut is accompanied by a massive multi-channel communication campaign, launched on\u00a0 April 12, created entirely by Italiaonline\u2019s Communication & Media team with the help of the same generative AI. The multi-themed campaign \u2014 featuring the \u201cChef\u201d and \u201cPlumber\u201d themes \u2014 intuitively illustrates how MARiO simplifies the lives of Italian SMEs. \u201cThe launch of MARiO demonstrates that AI is no longer a tool reserved for large companies with massive budgets. With this service, we demonstrate that an AI-powered workforce is a tangible and scalable resource, capable of supporting every professional sector: from plumbers to restaurant owners, from lawyers to local retailers,\u201d says Umberto Poschi<\/strong>, Chief Web & Media Services Officer at Italiaonline. \u201cItaliaonline is setting a global standard that other service providers will inevitably follow. We are helping SMEs to stop dealing with software complexities and focus on business results. We are particularly proud of both this project and its communication campaign, which reflects not only the value of MARiO but also our commitment to exploring new ways of communicating what we do, fully integrating AI into our creative processes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith MARiO, we are transforming artificial intelligence into a real collaborator, accessible to every professional and small business. Italiaonline is charting a course of excellence that will become the new international benchmark. We are helping businesses overcome technological complexity to focus directly on growth and results,\u201d says Brendan King<\/strong>, CEO of Vendasta.<\/p>\n * 2026 State of AI-Driven Sales Execution – How action is being rebuilt in the SMB economy \u2013 Vendasta Research Italiaonline, Italy\u2019s leading internet company, announces the launch of MARiO, the AI-powered virtual assistant designed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":49318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[432,488,486,438,482,483],"class_list":["post-49320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","tag-ai","tag-brendan-king","tag-ia","tag-italiaonline","tag-mario","tag-vendasta"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe campaign, running until June 20, is distributed across the following channels:
\n\u2022 TV: 30-second and 15-second spots on the Warner Bros Discovery Italia network (Real Time, DMax, Giallo, Motor Trend, HGTV, Food Network and NOVE).
\n\u2022 DOOH (Digital Out Of Home): presence in metro stations in Milan, Brescia, Genoa and Rome, and in 12 domestic airports via Class\u2019s UP TV network.
\n\u2022 Digital: Widespread presence on the Ciaopeople network (with pre-roll and display ads) and on industry publications Engage and DailyNet.<\/p>\n
\n**Local Buying Behavior 2026: Search & AI – How AI is reshaping discovery, trust, and local decision-making – Vendasta Research<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"