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 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.
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 issued an update for Office Mobile to enable compatibility with Office 2007 documents.
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.
Office 2008 for Mac may be the best pick for business users, but most people can get by with less expensive alternatives.
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.
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.
Can Chrome give Internet Explorer a run for its money?
ZDNet correspondent Sumi Das talks with Senior Editor Sam Diaz about the perks and pitfalls of the newly relea… Watch it now
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