Microsoft Blasts Massachusetts' New XML Policy

Posted by Fritz on Sep 4, 2005 7:28 AM EDT
InformationWeek; By Nick Farrell
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Even as millions of dollars worth of Office business hangs in the balance, Microsoft says it will not support the OpenDocument format likely to be adopted by the state of Massachusetts this month as its standard XML format.

While any company can adopt the royalty free standard, Microsoft will not support OpenDocument in its next version of Office 12 because it is an inferior file format and is not compatible with older versions of Office, one Microsoft executive said this week after the report was released. Office 12 is due next year.

"No," said Alan Yates, general manager of Microsoft's Information Worker Business Strategy, when asked by CRN about the potential for Office to support OpenDocument. "The Office "12" formats pay special attention to compatibility with older document versions, [and] other formats do not concern themselves with this important issue," Yates said.

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Subject Topic Starter Replies Views Last Post
Wrong move for MS r_a_trip 14 2,033 Sep 7, 2005 6:28 AM
Locked in Format Fritz 2 1,861 Sep 5, 2005 7:46 AM
I REALLY hope this means their non-participation will hurt DrDubious 0 2,075 Sep 4, 2005 4:24 PM

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