OKdo Selected as Micro:bit Educational Foundation Global Manufacturer and Distributor
Together with the best-in-class supply chain and operations expertise of RS Group, OKdo extends the reach of BBC micro:bit computers, giving every child the ability to learn digital creativity and computing skills
LONDON, UK, 19 JUNE 2023 – OKdo, part of the RS Group, is pleased to announce its selection as one of Micro:bit Educational Foundation‘s leading global manufacturers and distributors. Additionally, this partnership will help foster a new generation of innovators, improving children’s computational thinking and unlocking their creative potential.
As a trusted partner, OKdo is committed to supporting The Foundation’s mission by ensuring the seamless production and distribution of micro:bits worldwide. With its expertise, extensive global network and marketing engine in the education sector, OKdo will play a pivotal role in driving educational initiatives and expanding access to micro:bit technology to a new level.
micro:bits are pocket-sized computers that are an essential platform for children to gain hands-on understanding of programming, digital creativity and problem-solving. Having already impacted the lives of 39 million children and distributed over 7.5 million devices since its inception in 2016, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation provides quality educational resources to schools and children globally. micro:bit computers are specifically designed for educators and children in a classroom setting, prioritizing affordability to reach the maximum number of students. This cause is 100% aligned with RS’ mission around education.
OKdo ensures efficient and timely delivery of its products, reducing lead times and enhancing customer satisfaction. Moreover, OKdo’s commitment to manufacturing in Europe also brings a significant advantage for its customers in the United States. Through this approach, OKdo provides cost benefits for customers but also strengthens the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality products while navigating global trade tariffs and dynamics.
“The Micro:bit Educational Foundation and RS have a long-standing relationship. We are thrilled to be able to lean into RS’ world-class manufacturing operations through OKdo and help extend the reach of micro:bit devices across new countries, delivering more and more micro:bits into the hands of children,” said Gareth Stockdale, CEO at Micro:bit Educational Foundation.
Additionally, the next gen BBC micro:bit campaign that was recently launched will offer a free set of 30 micro:bits to all primary schools across the UK, representing a donation of almost 700,000 devices, part funded by the. UK registry, Nominet, alongside free education resources and teacher training. All primary school teachers can now register on the BBC micro:bit website and will receive a set of devices and a resource pack between September 2023 and March 2024.
“OKdo has one of the largest workbenches of products and single board computers in the world. On top of that RS is very committed to the education space and has defined it as one of its top priorities for the calendar year. RS’ single board computer division was selected by micro:bit because of OKdo’s world-class manufacturing capability and robust, flexible, agile, and proactive supply chain. With this partnership, we can now supply micro:bit computers to an entire global customer and reseller base without any delay,” said Sarah Fawcett, Vice President of Operations at OKdo.
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OKdo
OKdo is a global technology company from RS Group plc which is disrupting single board computer (SBC) and IoT segments. Offering a unique combination of hardware, software, development support, and manufacturing services to inspire and enable customers to generate new ideas and turn them into commercial reality. They are on a global mission to deliver the imagination, creativity, and technical expertise our customer’s desire. To learn more, please visit www.okdo.com.
RS
RS is a trading brand of RS Group plc, providing product and service solutions that help our customers design, build, maintain, repair and operate industrial equipment and operations, safely and sustainably. We stock more than 750,000 industrial and electronic products, sourced from over 2,500 leading suppliers, and provide a wide range of product and service solutions to 1.1 million customers.
We support customers across the product lifecycle, whether via innovation and technical support at the design phase, improving time to market and productivity at the build phase, or reducing purchasing costs and optimising inventory in the maintenance, repair and operation phase. We offer our customers tailored product and service propositions that are essential for the successful operation of their businesses and help them save time and money.
RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1 and in the year ended 31 March 2023 reported revenue of £2,982 million.