Microsoft's Open XML Moves Forward as ISO Standard
Microsoft's Open XML Moves Forward as ISO Standard
by , 8:45 AM EDT, August 18th, 2008
Microsoft's Open XML format overcame its final stumbling block and is moving forward as an official ISO standard. The file format had been held back earlier this year by claims that the voting process was rushed and that Microsoft's specification information was incomplete.
Open XML got the green light to move forward after appeals from Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela failed to gain enough support from the other national standards bodies. Microsoft's file format will now also be known as ISO/IEC DIS 29500, Information technology - Office Open XML formats.
The controversy surrounding Open XML as an ISO standard isn't new. Complaints over the file format have been brewing ever since Microsoft first submitted it standard proposal, and concerns escalated after it was slated for a fast track approval in March 2007.
At the time, countries opposed to approving Open XML as a standard raised concerns over issues related to how the file format works, patent violations, and the overlap with Open Document Format (ODF) -- an alternate Office-compatible file format that had already been approved as an ISO standard.
Open XML's approval is a big win for Microsoft because now the company can more easily push its Office software suite on government agencies that require open file formats.
The ISO plans to publish the DIS 29500 standard within the next few weeks.
Observer Comments
The heavy handed way MS got Open XML approved left a bad taste with many people pushing open formats. That MS is supporting an Open Document Format, albeit one that they designed and then ramrodded through approval, is good. The real test will be when people try to work with it. If it ends up that Open XML is an open format but in some way MS makes it so only MSOffice completely works with it, then what is now just grumbling could end up in open revolt within the Open Source movement. Unless MS "plays nice" I wouldn't be surprised to see Open XMLs cerification as an ODF get pulled.
"Unless MS "plays nice" I wouldn't be surprised to see Open XMLs cerification as an ODF get pulled."
Let's hope that it gets pulled no matter what. Does anyone really believe that Monoposoft will "play nice" if their bastardized formats become standard? Please.
This is nothing more than another way Monoposoft is attempting to prop up their slowly crumbling monopoly... it will force people to use MS products more and more, not just in the PC space, but in Macs as well. It will only be a matter of time before more and more "incompatibilities" between platforms arise. The real reason of course, is to find yet another method of marginalizing OS X and drive people to use Winblows.
This format is already supported by some of the apple products you use today. iWorks 08, iPhone, TextEdit. I don't see why it would not catch on.
Read the Wiki Entry, for more information and products currently supporting the format.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_xml
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