Microsoft dragged into accepting ODF

[Aloone_Jonez]

Microsoft is reluctantly lending its name to a project for interoperability between Office 2007 and desktop productivity software using a non-Microsoft supported file format.

The Open XML Translator Project will allow desktop productivity applications saved using the industry backed Open Document Format (ODF), which Microsoft has stubbornly opposed, to talk to files using Microsoft's own Open XML File Format. The first goal is for users of the delayed Word 2007 to be able to open and save ODF documents in Word.

Open XML Translator Project, developed under BSD, has been posted to SourceForge. A complete version of the Word translator tool is expected by the end of 2006 with add-ins for Excel and PowerPoint due in 2007. A free compatibility pack will provide interoperability with older versions of Office.

Microsoft, who is working with three partners in France, Germany and India, is succumbing to pressure from government customers who are adopting ODF as a way to ensure millions of documents are stored in an open, industry-backed document format to ensure future accessibility.

ODF was ratified as a standard by the Organisation for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) in April 2005 and has been supported in desktop productivity suites from IBM, Sun Microsystems, OpenOffice.org and Novell.

As ever, though, Microsoft preferred not to join the industry and instead promoted its own Office XML File Format, claiming its file format offered superior performance. Microsoft also assembled a coalition of the willing to push for ratification of the Office XML File Format by standard group the European Computer Manufacturers' Association (ECMA). Members of the coalition include Apple, Barclays Capital, BP, the British Library, Intel, and Toshiba.

Microsoft went on to accuse IBM and Sun of promoting a standards conflict in backing ODF to mask the fact that their products lag Microsoft Office in terms of functionality.

Significantly, IBM and Sun joined 35 other organisations earlier this year in creating the Open Document Format Alliance to educate potential users, notably in government, about ODF.

The alliance was formed following the Commonwealth of Massachusetts debacle, which saw Massachusetts mandate that all state IT departments dump proprietary document file formats for standards-based offerings by 2007. In a decision that caused concern among other government users, Massachusetts subsequently reversed its decision amid much politics.

It seems, though, Microsoft has finally been called to account by the kinds of government users targeted by the Open Document Format Alliance.

In a statement, Microsoft said while it was acting in response to requests from this important user group it believes ODF remains the weaker offering. According to Microsoft, ODF meets "very different customer requirements", "focuses on more limited requirements" and is used only to "fill key gaps such as spreadsheet formulas, macro support and support for accessibility options".

And, buried in Microsoft's announcement, was a last, parting attempt, to warn foolhardy customers away from ODF with its own offering. "Certain compromises and customer disclosures will be a necessary part of translating between the two formats," Microsoft said.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Yeah, it's nice to see. But I usually email documents in pdf format so I know they get there in one piece. Of course the downside of pdf is you cant really edit it too well if at all, but it usually doesn't matter (my teachers don't need to edit my papers ... do they ?)

[worker201]

[OFFTOPIC]Unless the file has been locked or is missing certain important bits of PDF code (meaning that it was not created with a very good PDF generator), it should be fully editable in Adobe Illustrator.[/OFFTOPIC]

[Aloone_Jonez]

[offtopic]But there's no free (as in money) software which can edit PDFs[/offtopic]

[_kill__bill]

[OFFTOPIC]OpenOffice.org + Acrobat Viewer.

Copy & paste from viewer, edit, export to pdf.
Not perfect but functional.

PS: PDF sucks.[/OFFTOPIC]

[worker201]

[offtopic]

But there's no free (as in money) software which can edit PDFs

If anyone is interested in rectifying this situation, you have my full support, including cash when I have it.
[/offtopic]

[H_TeXMeX_H]

[OFFTOPIC]

PS: PDF sucks.

Well I used to think so too at one point ... pdf is only good for one thing ... getting a document to someone who needs it over e-mail and getting it there in one piece. And them having the capability of reading it (most people don't know what an odt is much less how to open it) ... more know about doc (M$ shit), but it never gets there in one piece. So the best option for this right now is pdf ...
[/OFFTOPIC]

that may change with this forcing odf on M$.

[pofnlice]

Standardized formats rock! I don't understand why it's not the case. VHS and DVD movies are (minus the PAL in the rest of the world and NTSC in N America). The regions were only created to stop pirating...which it didn't, most dvd players have a way to make them region free and even NTSC/PAL cross compatible...Shtuff, look at the 3 1/2" dirve floppy...

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

[WMD]

The regions were only created to stop pirating...

No, the regions were created so that the media cartels could price DVDs how they wanted in the various parts of the world - that way, we have to pay what they say and can't get a better deal from another part of the world.

It's funny how the business world likes to brag about the "global economy" - but only when it benefits them.

[davidnix71]

M$ should be forced out of the office software suite altogether, by law, period. It hurts everyone when a company that big is allowed to muscle out competition. I hope the Asians and Europeans bust BG's chops hard on this one. If Microsoft spent less money and time on extras maybe they could produce an OS that didn't suck.

[Calum]

as already mentioned the constant push and pull between different standards and platforms is entirely down to economics. it is some absurd idea that for a free market economy to work people must always have some competing betamax or minidisk to buy, or else competition fails. this is clearly rubbish. like with DVDs, just agree with one format and stick to it i say, what's wrong with dvds? nothing for what they were intended for. also, i disagree with planned obscolesncence too, why should i suddenly have to throw out all my videos just because i start buying dvds? every ten years i will have to throw out everything and replace it all with whatever the new format is! same with CDs/tapes/records etc. good job i don't actually have a betamax (or an eight track player, or a philips digital cassette machine...)

[Aloone_Jonez]

You say we should all stick with one format, but it depends on the format, if it's MS Office formats then it's bad, the format needs to be free for everyone to use to be of any benifit.

[mobrien_12]

Actually, there's a lot of skepticism around this.

First, theres allegations that they took code from the ODF plugin project, without credit, and relicenced it under the BSD licence.  The original author isn't really pissed, and the original licence was essentially dual:  Apache and LGPL, so it isn't that big a deal, but it wasn't proper if that's what they did.

Second, there is no damn reason for this plugin project.  The new office project is a long ways away from being released.  MS could put it in by default.  Why don't they?  Why make it a separate download?  Free software or not?

Third, if this is a plugin, will it mean that people will have to make an extra step every single time they want to save in ODF?  Will it say "you are saving in a sucky format and you won't get all the wonderful benefits of MS.  Sell your soul Yes/No?"?

Fourth, this will ONLY work with their new, unreleased version of office, so people will have to upgrade to use it, while the current Free software version from ODF foundation works for everything from Word 97 onward.

Maybe I'm being too cynical, but this is MS we are talking about here.

[Aloone_Jonez]

You have a point there, I take it the ODF foundation's plugin is free so you can just email it to people, but there again there's the question of whether you can use it without administritive access to the machine.

[mobrien_12]

You have a point there, I take it the ODF foundation's plugin is free so you can just email it to people, but there again there's the question of whether you can use it without administritive access to the machine.

Well, I haven't tried it yet.  I would expect you could because most Word plugings are written in Visual Basic for Applications, the same things that macros are made out of.  

From what I understand, the MS plugin will be Free software as well.