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Belgian Gov't requires ODF From 09/2008
An anonymous reader writes "The Belgian government has decided all government agencies will be required to use only open document standards from September 2008 onwards. One year earlier, they should be able to read them. In practice this means only ODF will be supported, although OpenXML will be considered if it becomes an accepted standard, and enough applications use it. According to a Belgian Microsoft-spokesman, Microsoft is considering supporting ODF (article in Dutch)."
My mind hurts.it hurts.but I like the translated title!
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Government exiles microsoft documents
As from September 2008 its all digital office documents of the federal government Odf-bestanden. ODF or open document Format are a file format for office documents that previous month officially were accepted by the international standard organisation ISO. It opens, standard '', which by software developers at discretion can be used to develop applications. ODF are with that a potential competitor for its own file formats which the softwarereus Microsoft use in its office software Microsoft Office. The federal council of ministers took last Friday the radical make decision Odf-standaard as from September 2008 obliges at all federal public authorities. One years rather all services must be already able Odf-documenten read. According to the profession booklet IT professional Belgium the first country is in the world that such a step does, and this way de facto the use of among others the microsoft formats prohibits. Toch the door for Microsoft is entirely not yet dense. The company stands now for the choice: or are programmes for Odf-bestanden open it, or it itself develops an open standard which can be used beside ODF. The most important candidate for that is it open XML developed by Microsoft. But according to peter Strickx, the agent for software-cog-softwarestandaarden at the federal government, open XML must become for that firstly recognised officially and must voldoene software applications be there which support the format. According to microsoft spokesman frank the Graeve are also considered supporting ODF in Office-software.