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Microsoft Opening Office XML Formats

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the what-does-that-mean-exactly dept.

sriram_2001 writes "Microsoft has opened up the XML schemas for Office 2003, thereby silencing a lot of criticism. This could potentially open the way for several government contracts as certain governments have made open standards (and not open-source) a pre-requisite. In their FAQ, Microsoft not only says that open source developers can distribute software built using them, but also that they'll make all future updates available using the same terms. Here is the Official Microsoft Site and CRN and Techworld have stories about it."

6 of 356 comments (clear)

  1. Nope, too little, too late. :) by caluml · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, no matter what they do, we'll still hate them, right? :)

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    1. Re:Nope, too little, too late. :) by Ckwop · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Where's the catch? I mean, there has to be for MS to open up one of the keys to its kingdom. Even if Open Source apps can't use it, commercial ones like WordPerfect can. MS would have to compete on merits, not on their monopoly, from now on. That doesn't sound something MS would want to do.

      It's the lesser of two evils for Microsoft. The thought of being excluded from the government contracts for not being open would probably make Microsoft's management squirm.

      The reason being is that we would probably see the widespread deployment of some non-MS office suite as a result and this would work towards loosening their strangle-hold on the desktop productivity suite.

      By opening formats, they can get in on these contracts. So while it may still damange their business model it will damage it less than not opening formats.

      Simon.

  2. Wait.... by bizpile · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...does this make them Communist sympathizers?

  3. Great by savagedome · · Score: 5, Funny

    open source developers can distribute software built using them, but also that they'll make all future updates available using the same terms

    My area code is 666 and I just looked outside. It's completely frozen too. Yup.

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  4. Ok.... by gral · · Score: 5, Funny

    and how much does the Version that creates these "Open" formats cost? Isn't the version that creates these formats the "Professional" version only. Oh wait, OpenOffice.org does these already. :-)

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  5. Please read Groklaw today by bersl2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Future Is Open: What OpenDocument Is And Why You Should Care ~ by Daniel Carrera