OLPC Reorganizes, Seeks New CEO

The One Laptop Per Child project got its start in academia, with the MIT Media Lab’s Nicholas Negroponte floating the idea of developing $100 laptop computers to be deployed in school systems throughout the developing world to ensure entire generations of humanity don’t get left out of the digital revolution.

Although the OLPC project is shipping computers and in many ways could be considered a success, the project has faced numerous delays, unanticipated competition from major industry players like Intel, difficulty securing bulk orders from developing nations—plus, the final price for an OLPC XO laptop was far closer to $200 than $100. OLPC launched a popular “Give One, Get One” campaign that enabled buyers in the United States and elsewhere to set hands on an OLPC XO laptop while funding the distribution of another laptop to a child in a developing nation, but even that effort engendered criticism as fulfillment breakdowns and delays frustrated donors. Earlier this year, the OLPC organization announced plans to launch a separate organization “OLPC America” to bring the low-cost laptops to students in the United States.

Now it seems the OLPC project is looking to re-orient itself as a commercial enterprise…and that includes bringing in an experienced business executive to replace Nicholas Negroponte. According to remarks from Negroponte published by BusinessWeek, OLPC is actively searching for a new CEO, and is reorganizing itself into four departments: fundraising and administration, market development, deployment, and technology. “Management, administration, and details are my weaknesses,” Negroponte told Businessweek. “I’m much better at the vision, big-picture side of the house.”

Earlier this year, OLPC lost its Chief Technology Officer Mary Lou Jepson, who set off to found Pixel Qi with the goal of commercializing some of the OLPC’s key technology (including its battery and screen) and potentially produce a $75 notebook computer. Pixel Qi’s work could, eventually, reduce costs for OLPC projects.