The One Laptop Per Child Project and Intel have put their differences aside, at least for now, as Intel agrees to take a seat on the OLPC Board of Directors. The new "peace" between Intel and OLPC will also involve the project receiving some funding from Intel, and according to a statement, "Intel and OLPC will explore collaborations involving technology and educational content."

Walter Bender, President of Software/Content and COO for the One Laptop Per Child Project (OLPC), Friday blasted Intel (NSDQ:INTC) Corp. for what he called its "disingenuous" dealings with the non profit organization.

The day after Intel announced that it would leave the One Laptop Per Child board, the nonprofit organization shot back that the chip giant had contributed little to help the project during its six months with the group.

The One Laptop Per Child Project would welcome Intel back if the chip maker returned to the group, the head of OLPC said Tuesday.

The OLPC got a major boost today with the announcement that Intel has joined the organization and will serve on its board of directors. No doubt, Intel wouldn't mind seeing the OLPC's low-cost Linux laptop's AMD Geode processor replaced by one of its own chips.

There's nothing like allegations of predatory conduct to bring two organizations together. Nicholas Negroponte's One Laptop Per Child project has decided to bring Intel on board as a partner and a possible future supplier, just a few months after Negroponte went on 60 Minutes and essentially accused the chip maker of trying to destroy his low-cost PC project.

Late last year Uruguay landed its first shipment of 100,000 units of the much lauded, sometimes criticised XO laptop from the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organisation. Buoyed by that success, Walter Bender, president software and content at OLPC effused over the next countries in line for the little green machine. The question is, however, can the likes of Peru, Mexico, Ethiopia, Haiti, Rwanda, Mongolia and a myriad of other impoverished countries stump up with the cash needed to join the OLPC bandwagon? The sums are not that difficult to do.

Sean Daly and I had the opportunity to interview by email Walter Bender, formerly president of software and content with OLPC and now the founder of Sugar Labs. Sugar Labs is the name of the nonprofit organization being established to support the development of the educational Sugar software, which was originally created for the One Laptop Per Child project.

"Walter Bender, the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project's former president of software, is launching a non-profit foundation that will continue development of OLPC's Sugar software platform. The new organization, which is called Sugar Labs, will coordinate ongoing community-driven Sugar development and will assist hardware makers that want to ship the platform."