Dave Lane
[FYI request #9578 email]
Dear Dave
Thank you for your further email of 13 February 2019 requesting the following information:
All correspondence, analysis, and advice the Ministry considered in relation to the
decision to promote Microsoft's Office 365 product licenses to high school (and other)
students in NZ.
The details of the agreement between the Ministry of Education (or other gov't
organisation) and the Microsoft Corporation regarding the supply of those licenses -
cost, terms, length of agreement, etc.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry’s role is to give schools choices and we currently have relationships with the three
main software providers (Apple, Microsoft and Google) to provide schools access to core
computing software. Our intention is that schools will choose the brands and products that
best fit the needs of their students and their communities, and that maintain the open market.
In line with maintaining an open market, the Ministry does not promote Microsoft’s Office 365
product licences directly to students in New Zealand. The Ministry is however working to raise
awareness about the benefits for parents of the agreement with Microsoft. The aim of this work
is to ensure that parents purchasing a Microsoft capable device are aware that free Microsoft
Office 365 licences are available through the agreement between the Ministry and Microsoft.
In relation to your request for the details of the agreement between the Ministry and Microsoft,
I am releasing four documents to you.
The first is a copy of the agreement between the Ministry and Microsoft. The agreement
document has information withheld under section 9(2)(b)(ii) of the Act, which is withheld to
protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably
to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the
information.
The second, third and fourth documents are copies of the terms and conditions. The second
document has been extracted from a Powerpoint and is provided in accordance with section
16(1)(e) of the Act. The rest of the slideshow is withheld in full and one investment term in this
document is withheld under section 9(2)(b)(ii) of the Act. Documents 3 and 4 are released to
you in full.
You also asked for the cost of the agreement, this information is withheld in full, under section
9(2)(b)(ii) of the Act. As for the length of the agreement, the Ministry website outlines the
agreement will be in effect until 31 December 2021.
OIA 1177785
education.govt.nz
National Office, Mātauranga House, 33 Bowen Street, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140. Phone: +64 4 463 8000 Fax: +64 4 463 8001
I hope this information is helpful. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review this
decision. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or Office of the
Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Yours sincerely
Zoe Griffiths
Deputy Secretary
Business Enablement and Support
education.govt.nz
