Microsoft Lashes out at Massachusetts IT Decision

scoop writes "Infoweek is reporting that the plan to eliminate the use of Office by the Massachusetts state government (previously covered on Slashdot) has not gone over well with Microsoft. Microsoft's Yates said the company agrees with the adoption of XML but does not agree that the solution to "public records management is to force a single, less functional document format on all state agencies." Microsoft also states they will not support the OpenDocument format. Looks to me Microsoft is scared their biggest cash cow is in danger from a free alternative. Soon I'm sure we'll see a Microsoft funded comparison between Office and OpenOffice."

Comments

MS refusal

[harvey the nerd]

"they will not support the OpenDocument"

Sounds like the making of a third rate suite...

Re:Results are in early

[tsa]

We can easily solve this dispute by stating that both interfaces are crap.

Strange

[tsa]

Further, he added, "this proposal acknowledges that Open Document does not address pictures, audio, video, charts, maps, voice, voice-over-IP, and other kinds of data our customers are increasingly putting in documents and archiving."

I can't believe that Open Document does not address pictures, but what I find even harder to believe is that anyone would want to put VOIP in a document.

Threats

[connah0047]

Rumor has it that MA has been threatened with a chair...

Re:Less Functional?

[TheRaven64]

Witch functionality they're missing

...prevents adoption at Hogwarts.

Re:Flexibility?

[FCAdcock]

No, what they meant was the OpenOffice doesn't have the little paperclip guy...