Microsoft: Stronger Support for Open XML than for ODF

Microsoft aims to spread its Office 2007 System love all around. And the Redmond company will stop at nothing in order to do so. The fact of the matter is that behind the international standardization process of the Open XML file format is a strategy to completely overshadow OpenOffice with the Office 2007 System. In this context, Microsoft is of course hammering away at taking down the one advantage that OpenOffice has over Office 2007, namely Open Document Format, or ODF. In a brand new document standards measuring contest, Microsoft revealed that Open XML features stronger support compared to ODF. Today, September 4th, Microsoft applauded Open XML as the default file format of the Office 2007 System stepped into its final phase of the ISO standards process. If all goes well for the Redmond company and current signs indicate that it does, Open XML will become an ISO standard just like ODF no later than March 2008.

"With at least 87 countries taking part in some way, the Open XML review represents an unprecedented level of participation in the standardization of a document format. Fifty-one ISO members voicing support at this preliminary stage of the process compares favorably with the 32 ISO members supporting Open Document Format (ODF) 1.0 at the end of its process and the 15 ISO members supporting PDF/A-1 at the end of its process. This widespread participation and support is consistent with the rapid adoption of the Ecma Office Open XML file formats across multiple platforms and products from a wide range of IT vendors (including Apple, Novell, Corel, Sun, Microsoft, Java developers and Linux distributors), creating real value for IT users around the globe," Microsoft stated via a press release.

In Microsoft's perspective, Open XML has the upper hand in contrast with both ODF and Adobe's PDF, but just in terms of preliminary support for the file format. But the Redmond company is careful in choosing its words. For example nowhere does Microsoft mention Office 2007. This detail will change dramatically after March 2008 and once Open XML becomes an ISO standard. Next year, OOXML will grow into one of the primary marketing vessels for the Office 2007 System. And although the format already has 74% of all votes in favor of its standardization, Microsoft predicts that it will convert additional ISO members.

"We are extremely delighted to see that 51 ISO members, representing 74 percent of the qualified votes, have already voiced their support for ISO ratification of Open XML, and that many others have indicated they will support ratification once their comments are resolved in the next phase of the ISO process," said Tom Robertson, general manager for Interoperability and Standards at Microsoft Corp. "This preliminary vote is a milestone for the widespread adoption of the Open XML formats around the world for the benefit of millions of customers. Given how encouraging today's results were, we believe that the final tally in early 2008 will result in the ratification of Open XML as an ISO standard."