Intel repeatedly undermined a not-for profit scheme to bring cheap laptops to children in the developing world, the head of the charity has told BBC News. Nicholas Negroponte accused Intel, which makes a rival PC, of underhand sales tactics and trying to block contracts to buy his machines. The groups united in July 2007 after a series of rows but split last week. The head of Intel Paul Otellini said an accusation that the firm had failed to deliver on promises was "hogwash". "I don't want to get into specifics but we met every obligation that we were committed to," he said.
Professor Negroponte responded: "My version of events is not hogwash. "Why would I throw away the six million dollars they were supposed to give us yesterday? Why would I do all of these things unless I was stark raving mad?" Professor Negroponte said the firm had left after a series of disputes. "They were selling laptops with their brand on it directly to exactly the same people we were talking to. They would go in even after we had signed contracts and try to persuade government officials to scrap their contract and sign a contract with them instead. That's not a partnership."
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Intel were protecting their own investments elsewhere - as they have a duty to do so. Being asked to drop their own in-house initiative to solely support this one initiative would have been a bad business decision.
Intel were protecting their own investments elsewhere - as they have a duty to do so. Being asked to drop their own in-house initiative to solely support this one initiative would have been a bad business decision.
Like I had said, there are far too many economic soci-paths around. It wasn't investments "elsewhere" but in the same place. That is an obvious conflict of interests......
To quote if you happened to miss it...
"They were selling laptops with their brand on it directly to exactly the same people we were talking to. They would go in even after we had signed contracts and try to persuade government officials to scrap their contract and sign a contract with them instead. That's not a partnership."
They're NOT suppose to doing this for profit at all, but for the good of the children there. They also were charging much more for their laptops and the children didn't even get to keep them as with the OLPC was doing. Intel is acting immorally in this regard.
Last edited by Foub on 09 Jan 2008 - 17:51
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I was referring to Intel, btw.
Is it any wonder that more corporations don't go to being "not-for-profit"?
Is it any wonder that more corporations don't go to being "not-for-profit"?
Because they need lots of investments by shareholders, which can go into the billions once they go public Plus there are some legal issues in terms of the ways they operate and how they must operate. Btw, Not-for-Profit = non-profit, at least in Canada.
In other words, Intel repeatedly undermined a not-for profit scheme to bring cheap laptops to children.
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