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Office To Become Fully Open XML Compliant (at Last)

Posted by Soulskill on from the super-fast-turnaround dept.

Andy Updegrove writes "Between 2005 and 2008, an unparalleled standards war was waged between Microsoft, on the one hand, and IBM, Google, Oracle and additional companies on the other. At the heart of the battle were two document formats, one called ODF, developed by OASIS, a standards development consortium, and Open XML, a specification developed by Microsoft. Both were submitted to, and adopted by, global standards groups ISO/IEC. But then Microsoft never fully adopted its own standard. Instead, it implemented what it called 'Transitional Open XML,' which was better adapted for use in connection with documents created using older versions of Office. Yesterday, Microsoft announced in a blog entry that it will finally make it possible for Office users to open, edit and save documents in the format that ISO/IEC approved."

4 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Re:the thought of involving by ichthus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, this is why both Google Docs and Open/LiberOffice utilize and support ODF. Sure, it's just hand-waving.

    Please.

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    sig: sauer
  2. Re:the thought of involving by characterZer0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    IBM, Oracle, and Google all have a vested interest in an interoperable format. IBM and Oracle are professional services companies. Interoperable formats means it is easier for them to implement custom services and provides more surfaces for them to provide integration services. Google wants to know everything so it can advertise everything, and a better format is easier to get information from.

    Microsoft is a vendor-lock-in company. OpenXML is designed to lock you in to their platform. They are they ONLY company that benefits.

    --
    Go green: turn off your refrigerator.
  3. Re:What the Fuck. by Tough+Love · · Score: 5, Insightful

    MS got an ISO standard by buying it about 2 years after ODF was the approved.

    Destroying ISO as a credible organization in the process.

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    When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
  4. Re:Sure... Now that it's no longer relevant... by bhcompy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To minor effect. The people who give a shit about standards are the people that post here. The people that don't give a shit and just want their spreadsheet to work could care less if there is some industry supported open standard don't. You know, CEOs and grandmas and stuff.