I must admit, I would have preferred that this announcement was...

I must admit, I would have preferred that this announcement was made during trading hours. By announcing it after hours you are playing it down.

I see it as a positive that they are involved in this process to begin with. What it leads to in the future time will tell. Given they are already contracted with various parties it seems a mere formality that they will get the gig.
Obviously their system works and therefore the odds are in their favour to secure this latest contract.

So I guess the obvious question why not release it when the market is alive and kicking.

That would be a question I would like to ask management if I had the opportunity.