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IBM Threatens To Leave ISO Over OOXML Brouhaha

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the brouhaha-is-a-funny-word dept.

barnackle writes "In addition to threatening to leave certain standards organizations over the OOXML shenanigans, IBM created new guidelines for its own participation in those organizations in an attempt to pressure the ISO and ECMA to be more fair in their approval procedures."

6 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. ISO? by ShieldW0lf · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Hmm... didn't they used to be some important international standards body at one point, before they got into the marketing business and went under?

    I thought they were already gone...

    Why is this news?

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    -1 Uncomfortable Truth
  2. Re:Great, but does it really matter? by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It seems to me this will have little meaning in the long run. It's been shown the ISO is deep in the pockets of M$. Do they really care what IBM thinks or does? I mean they already got their money right?

    Well, the cynic in me agrees with you -- I doubt IBM will follow through, and if they did, I doubt it would make much difference.

    However, if people start viewing the ISO as irrelevant and just doing what a big company like Microsoft wants, then they run the risk of becoming irrelevant. That might be the kind of thing they take notice of.

    I would like to see some correction to the fact that it's a standard that really only MS can implement. Rubber stamping OOXML basically just legitimizes it for governments to buy it.

    Cheers

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    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  3. Settle down now.... by mlwmohawk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have some friends and an ex-wife that work for IBM. While I would go as far to say that, by and large, my dealings with them have been fair an ethical, I would resist any sort of "white knight" metaphors, it is still a publicly traded company and stock holders mean more than standards.

    It is only that IBM is a technically competent competitor that it *can* compete and win on a level playing field that they promote good standards.

    That being said, having dealt with double dealing scum of Microsoft many times in the past, I'll take IBM any day.

  4. Not all as it seems by Etrias · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A quick look over at Groklaw has a good article about the motivations here. I'd still be cautious, but it's optimistic when IBM stresses open standards as being important to them. I'm actually surprised this didn't happen sooner with the garbage of OOXML.

  5. It COULD Matter by maz2331 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If a really major player leaves the organization it is a major "no confidence" vote in the organization itself.

    While the official standards are a great idea, a really big player or a consortium of them can easily just create defacto standards that will have a great chance in the real-world marketplace. This is doubly true if they actually make their standards truly open, as IBM seems to advocate.

    I'd say that if companies that manufacture about 10% of the market leave ISO, then it is wounded. If it hits a number like 25%, then it's basically useless.

    Also, large companies pay an obscene amount in yearly dues to be part of the standards bodies. Losing that cash will sting badly.

  6. Re:Influence by GreatBunzinni · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Surely IBM will have more influence over future ISO decisions if it remains a member.

    I don't believe that's true. IBM was a part of this OOXML process and yet it was, along with Sun, barred from the portuguese technical committee. This level of corruption doesn't leave fond memories of the whole process.

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