14 DAY TRIAL // Linspire is one of the open source distributors, along with Novell and Xandros, to jump on Microsoft's Windows - Linux interoperability and software assurance wagon. Linspire is the maker of a distribution of Linux having the same name as the company, but formerly named Lindows, a trademark over which Microsoft sued. Following the initial agreement with Microsoft, Linspire informed that it will also contribute to evolving the interoperability between the Office 2007 System and OpenOffice. Linspire revealed that it is committed to the interoperability between the Open Document Format and Open XML, which Microsoft is trying to get ratified as an international standard.
"For Linux to gain acceptance beyond the server, it must interoperate within the broader desktop computing ecosystem," said Kevin Carmony, CEO of Linspire. "Interoperability with Microsoft Office documents is critical, and Linspire is pleased to join this ongoing effort with Novell and Microsoft to bring document interoperability to our mutual customer base. The Open XML format is an open standard file format for office applications that can be freely implemented by multiple applications on multiple platforms. The Open XML format was standardized by Ecma International on December 7, 2006 and is also being implemented by multiple applications on multiple platforms. It is now under consideration for ratification by ISO/IEC JTC1."
Open XML is the default file format of Office 2007 and the source of a consistent amount of criticism due to Microsoft's efforts to standardize it in addition to ODF. Critics consider that Microsoft should offer support for ODF instead of introducing an additional international standard that is intimately connected with the Office System. Questions raised over ODF vs. Open XML point out that Microsoft aims to conserve its monopoly instead of supporting open standards. Microsoft is playing a different tune and Linspire seems to agree.
"This is good news for customers. Linspire and Microsoft share the view that it should be easy for users of competing office productivity applications to exchange files with one another and XML is pivotal in that regard," said Jean Paoli, general manager for Interoperability and XML Architecture at Microsoft. "We believe in delivering interoperability by design for the benefit of our customers. Our ongoing collaborative relationships with commercial open source companies like Linspire help us achieve that goal."