The certification from ECMA -- formerly known as the European Computer Manufacturers Association -- marks a year of work for a technical committee set up to standardise Office Open XML.
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.
The International Organisation for Standardisation is unlikely to adopt Microsoft Office Open XML format, now that it has approved the OpenDocument Format, according to analyst group Gartner.
Microsoft's move to make its Open XML document format an international standard could hobble the uptake of OpenDocument, the OASIS-approved document format that is supported by Sun Microsystems.
Microsoft has joined a committee that has a key role in the ratification of the OpenDocument format as an international standard.
Here's what you should know before you invite the new Office onto your hard drive.
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.
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.
What is it about Microsoft's proposed OOXML standard that has boffins hurling death threats at each other?
Office 2008 for Mac may be the best pick for business users, but most people can get by with less expensive alternatives.
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.
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.
Microsoft says it's opening its Office desktop software by adding support for XML--a move that should help companies free up access to shared information. But there's a catch: It has yet to disclose the underlying XML dialect.
Current WordPerfect customers should certainly upgrade to Office 11.0. But SOHO users won't need some of the functionality.
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
Driving Business Growth Through Enterprise IT Management
High availability computing with reliable blade technology
Telstra's BT coat doesn't fit
Australian security: the lucky country 
Storage infrastructure on the tender track
Driving Business Growth Through Enterprise IT Management
Dig deeper by clicking here »
Achieve continuous availability with high performance NonStop blade technology
Security superguide
When chief information officers and other technology managers talk about their priorities, security is always high on the list.
Click here for more.
Superguide: Printers -- all you need to know
Looking to buy a printer? Our superguide rates the latest printers and shines a light into the industry.
Click here for more.
Storage and server superguide
Over the last decade the art of maintaining the datacentre of a large organisation has evolved into an art form.
Click here for more.
