Microsoft Loses Nigeria Contract -- Again

Microsoft has been overruled as the OS supplier for Intel's Classmate PCs in Nigeria, InfoWorld reported Friday.

As earlier reported by BetaNews, Microsoft had apparently wrestled away the contract to supply the operating system for shipments of the Classmate PC to the central African nation. However, the government is having none of it.

Technology Support Center (TSC) was the company tasked to deploy the laptops to students in Nigeria. However, a government agency that funds part of the deployment, the Nigeria Universal Service Provision Fund, has overruled the company.

An official who is said to be the program manager at USPF told InfoWorld that they wished to keep Linux on the machines. TSC is the biggest supplier of Intel's laptop for students in the western part of Africa.

MIcrosoft is apparently not giving up, with its Nigerian manager Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu saying that TSC -- and apparently the country itself -- had preferred Windows as the OS of choice.

The deal with TSC is worth approximately $400,000 to the company. So far, representatives for the company have been unreachable for comment. Mandriva also had no immediate public comment.