Microsoft executives have accused IBM of single-handedly leading an effort to block the software giant from having its Office Open XML standard approved by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
Microsoft's bid to make the Open XML (OOXML) file formats international standards has succeeded, barring any last-minute changes. The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is scheduled to issue the official communique today.
Weeks out from a crucial ISO vote in Geneva on the ratification of Microsoft's proposed Open XML standard, Microsoft is engaged in a last ditch campaign to convince the wider industry that its endeavours are in the best interests of users.
The company will sponsor an open-source project to create converter between Ecma Open XML and Chinese standard as well as new ODF converters.
Microsoft has severely criticised IBM, saying the company is pushing the OpenDocument Format standard to the detriment of Microsoft's own Open XML standard.
Microsoft says beta testing for Office 12 begins in November. Also, the company gets 120,000 requests a month from people who want to save their Office documents in PDF format, making it one of the most requested features.
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Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 makes prettier presentations, so an upgrade may be in order if your work is particularly image-focused and you don't mind relearning the application. If PowerPoint 2003 serves you well, however, it offers most of the same features, albeit with flatter-looking graphics.
If you need to make sleeker-looking documents and presentations, Microsoft Office Standard 2007 is a worthy upgrade. But stick to your current software if you don't feel that it lacks anything.
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