Standards body Ecma International has created a committee to standardise Microsoft Office document formats, handing the software giant a victory in an intensifying struggle over desktop software.
Microsoft will add native support to Office 2007 for the OpenDocument Format (ODF) instead of OOXML because of compatibility issues but Microsoft refuses to admit that ODF has won the document format war.
Microsoft has failed in its initial effort to fast-track the Office Open XML (OOXML) document file format as an international standard but it will have another chance in early 2008.
The British Standards Institution has sent its response to the International Organization for Standardization on the subject of whether Microsoft Office Open XML should be certified with the ISO, but has refused to say whether it voted "yes", "no", or "abstain".
Microsoft intends to submit file formats for its new Office 12 applications to the European standards body ECMA International. The company hopes this will allay concern about its level of control over document formats.
Microsoft's bit to make its Office Open XML (OOXML) document format an international standard has been successful, but the road was far from smooth. ZDNet.com.au has compiled all the headlines that track the arduous journey of what is now known as IS 29500.
Developers wanting to use Microsoft's Office Open XML specification will need to brush up on their legal skills.
Novell's Miguel de Icaza is working on a technology that he says can replicate Microsoft's vaunted software development platform on Linux. Additional reading: The beginning of the end for Microsoft?
Microsoft and its allies have quietly expanded an effort to gain acceptance for C#, the software giant's competitor to Java and a foundation for its next-generation Internet services.
Feeling entrenched in your choice of browser? Break free! We compare 11 different browsers so you can find the right one for you and your company.
Feeling entrenched in your choice of browser? Break free! We compare 11 different browsers so you can find the right one for you and your company.
History of British PCs
The cash-strapped UK National Museum of Computing is home to an exhibition of the evolution of British PCs.… Watch it now
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