Micro:bit Educational Foundation is here! | micro:bit.

The Foundation will begin taking over from the original BBC micro:bit partnership from today in a phased transition, ensuring long-term support and expansion of the educational program in the UK and internationally. The creation of the Foundation was made possible by support from leading educational and technology organisations including: ARM, BBC, Microsoft, Nominet, Samsung and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Outside the UK, early adopters of the BBC micro:bit include Iceland and the Netherlands, with deployments now starting in schools. Availability will be extended across Europe during Q4/2016 with plans to roll out the device in North America and Asia in 2017. There is interest from more than 20 countries, including Bangladesh, China, Finland, Norway and Singapore, to deploy micro:bit educational programs.

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Seems to be a trajectory for low cost educational computers, large sponsor/subsidized parts, a 1m unit goal in short, a foundation to keep it a cause (and possibly a business).

On a related topic – and as far as some interesting history and more, here’s a bit about the project from ntoll (video) and here’s the site of the creator of MicroPython Damien George.