Intel Joins One Laptop Per Child's Board of Directors

Intel, the leading processor manufacturer, and One Laptop Per Child, the non-profit organization that first started the revolution for low-cost laptops has announced that they would be collaborating together to bring the benefits of technology to the developing countries through the coordination of their programs.

In 2005, MIT scientist Nicholas Negroponte announced his vision to make cheap laptops for the children of the developing world. The organization has produced a $100 laptop that will initially sell for $176 and called it, the XO. However, just last June, Intel has announced its collaboration with Asustek to produce a low-cost laptop of its own that would sell for $199. Word war erupted between the two as Negroponte accused Intel of trying to drive the organization out of business by marketing a product in countries that OLPC has set to sign-up.

According to the Independent, Negroponte revealed a marketing document that he said Intel distributed to the government of Nigeria that seemed to bad-mouth OLPC's XO laptop. When interviewed by CBS, Intel's chairman, Craig Barrett rejected OLPC's claim, stating that the charges were crazy, but when confronted with the document, Barrett did not deny the contents but said that it was only someone's way at Intel of comparing the XO with Intel's Classmate PC and added that it was the way business works. Negroponte further added that the real reason behind Intel's sudden emergence in the low-cost laptop scene is petty corporate rivalry. XO uses an inexpensive low-end processor made by AMD, the world's second-largest chipmaker and Intel's biggest rival. Negroponte told CBS: "Intel and AMD fight viciously and we're just sort of caught in the middle."

However, the two companies seem to be singing a different tune as Intel has already joined One Laptop Per Child's board of directors. Incidentally, AMD is also part of OLPC's board of directors.

In Intel's press release, Nicholas Negroponte was quoted as saying, "Intel joins the OLPC board as a world leader in technology, helping reach the world's children. Collaboration with Intel means that the maximum number of laptops will reach children."

Intel is currently investing more than $100 million per year to promote education through the Intel Foundation. The company's focus on education is part of the Intel World Ahead Program which aims to bring technology to anyone in the world

Paul Otellini, CEO of Intel said that joining the One Laptop Per Child is an example of the company's commitment to education over the last 20 years and the company's belief in the role of technology in bringing opportunities of the 21^st century to children around the world.

SOURCE:

Intel News Release, Intel Joins One Laptop Per Child. URL: (http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20070713corp.htm?iid=pr1_releasepri_20070713r)

Simon Usborne, Laptop Wars: It Could Transform Life for Billions of Children, Redorbit.com. URL (http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/957934/laptop_wars__it_could_transform_life_for_billions_of/index.html?source=r_technology)