element14 has global distribution deal for Raspberry Pi

Almost one year since the launch of the Raspberry Pi,  element14 has announced it has signed a new distribution contract with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to sell the credit-card-sized computer around the world.

element14 has also announced that it has now manufactured and delivered more than 500,000 Raspberry Pis since the launch in February last year. In a year that saw the world fall in love with the microcomputer, element14 also brought production of the Raspberry Pi to the UK from China in September 2012.

There is no sign of a slowdown in demand for the revolutionary computer with the award-winning element14 Community, an online community for design engineers and electronics enthusiasts, helping to bring together Raspberry Pi fans to share ideas and further fuel innovation through the Code Exchange.

Mike Buffham, Global Head of EDE at element14, said: “It seems every time we talk about the Raspberry Pi we say it has been a true phenomenon, but it genuinely has. Back in February last year we could never have thought it would be this successful. Now less than a year on and we have manufactured over 500,000 at element14 alone, and we are delighted to have signed a new contract with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to continue to play a pivotal role in putting computer programming back at the heart of engineers, both young and old.”

Eben Upton, Co-Founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, said: “Since the Raspberry Pi was launched globally in February 2012, it has been a tremendous success story. The younger generation has demonstrated significant intrigue in learning how to build and program their own computer device. What has been great to see is the enormous growth in the hobbyist market. I have seen projects from Twittering chickens to home beer brewing kits being created using the Raspberry Pi and its accessories.”

Since the launch of the Raspberry Pi Board B, element14 has released a series of accessories that enable owners to build their collection with the addition of extra functionality and capabilities. These include:

• PiFace digital: Targeted at 11- to 16-year-olds, this new device stacks on top of the Raspberry Pi and connects it to physical devices such as lights, motors and sensors.
• Gertboard: The Gertboard is an add-on GPIO expansion board which allows Raspberry Pi users to connect to and control more advanced physical devices.
• WiPi - wirelessly connects the Raspberry Pi to a network.
• PiView - enables the direct connection of the Raspberry Pi to VGA monitors from the HDMI output.