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Massachusetts Finalizes OpenDocument Standard Plan

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the easier-than-quitting-smoking dept.

wellington map writes "The state of Massachusetts has finalized a proposed move to an open, nonproprietary format for office documents, a plan that involves phasing out versions of Microsoft's Office productivity suite deployed in the state's executive branch agencies. Massachusetts expects its agencies to develop phased migration plans away from productivity suites that do not support OpenDocument, with a target implementation date of January 1, 2007. Looks like it's finally cemented after some heated discussions."

4 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. MS Will Come Around Eventually by blueZhift · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While it will take more than days, I think that Microsoft will eventually come around and support OpenDocument. There's no technical reason that they cannot and Microsoft can't afford to let big customers get away. Once large companies and governments realize that they can get along just fine without Microsoft products, it will be even harder to get them back on the crack, so to speak. So I wouldn't be surprised if there are already betas running in Microsoft somewhere that support OpenDocument and they run on the Microsoft Linux Distro too!

    Anyway, in the end, the customer is always right. So Microsoft will come around if OpenDocument gets any kind of real traction.

    --
    To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
    1. Re:MS Will Come Around Eventually by jkrise · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Likewise Open LDAP, Open HTML :-)... Open Groupware instead of locked down Exchange bloatware formats and MTAs and protocls.... Open FS instead of WinFS.. Open Database - okay that's there with ODBC... hmm. Interesting times ahead.

      --
      If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
  2. In Related News... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of the guys behind KOffice has just posted an open letter refuting a few aspects Alan Yates/Microsoft's criticism of open doc.

  3. This will be M$'s strategy... by bogaboga · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I am speculating that M$'s next strategy will be to get a mandate from the next high authority. This time, it will be the Federal government. I understand that in the union, the Federal government can overrule a state's authority.

    By the way, what will happen when the Federal government sends documents to Massachusetts in word format? Would the state send them back?

    Suppose M$ suddenly decides to support OpenDocument, gets the state's business and then issues a "security patch", that introduces proprietary extensions as has been in the past?