Open Document Format Prevails For Now

ConsortiumInfo.org - Microsoft Office 2007 to Support ODF - and not OOXML

OpenDocument and OOXMLMicrosoft today announced that it would update Office 2007 to natively support ODF 1.1, but not to implement its own OOXML format. Moreover, it would also join both the OASIS working group as well as the ISO/IEC JTC1 working group that has control of the ISO/IEC version of ODF. Implementation of DIS 29500, the ISO/IEC JTC 1 version of OOXML that has still not been publicly released will await the release of Office 14, the ship date of which remains unannounced.

The same announcement reveals that Office 2007 will also support PDF 1.1, PDF/A and Microsoft’s competing fixed-text format, called XML Paper Specification. XML Paper Specification is currently being prepared by Ecma for submission to ISO/IEC under the same “Fast-Track” process by which OOXML had been submitted for consideration and approval.

A little good news never hurts now and then.

This entry was posted by T. Colin Dodd on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 2:19 pm and is filed under Truth, Open Standards, ODF, OOXML. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.