Microsoft’s Open XML Now a Standard

By NewsFactor Network | December 8, 2006

As expected, ECMA International has given the nod to Microsoft’s Open XML, effectively establishing the document format as a standard available to all. The global organization also put Open XML on the fast track for approval by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Microsoft’s submission of Open XML to ECMA in November 2005 was backed by several companies, including Apple, Intel, Novell, and Toshiba. The Redmond-based software giant designed Open XML as a way to provide the vast number of Office customers with assurance that they can store and manage data for years to come without fear of putting all of their eggs in one proprietary basket.

With a growing number of businesses and government agencies around the world interested in creating digital archives using open formats that are not bound to any particular vendor, Open XML will now meet that need as a standard that can be implemented across multiple applications and software platforms.

Software vendors such as Novell and Corel already have announced their support for the Open XML standard.

Interoperability Is Key

Microsoft has been pushing hard to get the format approved as a standard, particularly in light of decisions by members of the Massachusetts legislature and foreign countries to migrate to the OpenDocument format — and away from Microsoft Office — as their de facto platform for text, spreadsheets, charts, and graphical documents.

The OpenDocument specification was developed by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and is native to OpenOffice.org and Sun’s StarOffice.

With document-creating applications, companies and government agencies have few choices, which many analysts have identified as being a problem in the long term. In theory, international standards, such as those created by OASIS or ECMA, are more likely to be maintained and supported over the years without being radically altered.

While Microsoft, as a company, likely won’t…

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