The NZ SSC has rejected Microsoft's offers for a new licensing contract. This is a big loss for Microsoft (Though I'm sure MS would have you believe otherwise and try to paint the picture back to front) and big win for NZ Government and NZ's IT industry. This opens the door to an open playing field that is open to discussion, competitive negotiation and equal treatment of competing bids for contracts. Previously this contract has been negotiated behind closed doors with details of contracts withheld from public scrutiny, and absolutely zero competition! Open source IT companies stand to gain a lot from Microsoft's loss. This event was inevitable really. And one I expect we will see more frequently as Microsoft continues to fail to adapt to a changing market they can no longer keep under thumb. Well done NZ Government!