Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 6th Jul 2006 10:41 UTC
Microsoft is giving in to the unrelenting pressure to be more open, particularly with regard to its Office Open XML file format and interoperability with the Open Document Format alternative. The company will announce July 6 that it has set up an open-source project to create a series of tools that allow translation between the OpenXML format and the ODF format, and which will be developed with partners. The Open XML Translator project, as it is known, will be posted on SourceForge, the open-source software development Web site. 
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Member since:
2005-09-13
I understand your frustration. There are a few things that are different in this case though:
1) Yes, MS has taken the extension tack in the past on some technologies (but Java is not a standard)
2) This is not one of those cases. In this case MS has designed a new technology from the ground up. OpenXML is similar to ODF in function, but the technologies are distinct.
3) In none of those other cases did MS attempt to open or share its implementation through the ISO
I think my quesion is still valid; why do you feel that the current process is not open?