Responding to a request from the European Union to improve data interoperability, Microsoft has committed in perpetuity to offering a royalty-free license of Office-related XML document formats.
For some insight into how Microsoft plans to drive upgrades of its nearly ubiquitous Office desktop application suite, talk to Jean Paoli.
Microsoft said on Tuesday that it has released its first update to Office 2008 for Mac, fixes that should boost stability and performance in some areas, while closing some security holes.
Suncorp's CIO, Jeff Smith, says he would like the banking and insurance giant to use open source software for its 20,000 desktops, which currently run Windows XP.
Creating a popular new computing approach always seems to bring with it a familiar catch-22: security issues. And Web services is no exception.
XML-based protocols, or Web Services, are gaining popularity. But expanded use means greater concerns over security. Additional reading: Web Services 101
As Microsoft unveils the next version of its flagship Office suite, we ask: is it revolution or evolution?
An emerging Web development technique promises to shake up the status quo in PC software and blur the line between desktop and Web applications.
Data exchange format is just too slow, some say. But there's debate over the best way to make Extensible Markup Language fly.
Jeff Raikes, Group VP of Microsoft, describes Office 2003 as "the first and best example of how end users can benefit from XML." Is it for you?
Redmond-based group project manager of Microsoft Office, Gray Knowlton, told ZDNet Australia that OOXML provides higher levels of security. "One of the benefits we have with the OpenOffice XML formats is that we know when we read and write and document because we have an XML based representation of what's in that content -- we know what should and should not be there," he said.
As Australia and various other nations prepare to vote on whether Microsoft's Open Office XML becomes an ISO standard, the Redmond giant is attempting to downplay fears that OOXML adopters will be hooked into the company's technology.
Office 2008 for Mac may be the best pick for business users, but most people can get by with less expensive alternatives.
For composing long PDF packages at an office that requires security and wants to use the new digital forms, Acrobat 8's got the goods, but it's overkill if you only seek to make short PDF files.
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.
Commentary: Bill Gates is beating the drum for tablets, Smart Display, and Web services - purchased with his US$5bn research budget. The question is: do we want to follow, and can we afford to?
This beta refresh reveals the suite's dynamic interface, as well as handy new tools, such as PDF creation.
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