RSSCalif. Document Format Bill Could Test Microsoft's Openness Claim
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published March 1, 2007, 4:48 PM
A bill introduced last week in the California state legislature would make it state law next year for all state agencies to create, preserve, and archive their digital documents using an XML-based file format, and to be able to receive new documents in XML-based formats as well. The bill does not mention any format specifically, though observers believe it refers indirectly to OpenDocument Format (ODF).
However, with Corel having promised last November to implement Microsoft's Office Open XML (OOXML) in its next edition of WordPerfect Office, and with an announcement on that edition believed to be imminent, there may be no barriers left that would specifically exclude OOXML from being adopted by the State of California, should bill AB 1668 pass.
The bill would indeed stipulate that state workers must create documents using the XML-based format, not just archive them. So Microsoft Office 2003 and older versions would have to be replaced on or before January 1, 2008; and conceivably, existing documents might need to be translated on or before that time - a process which for other states generally takes far longer than twelve months.
In listing the criteria the State would have to apply in choosing an XML-based format, the bill prescribes that format must be interoperable, fully published, royalty-free, sponsored by an open industry organization, and implemented by multiple vendors. Up until now, OOXML has been all of these things except the latter.
But even after OOXML becomes one of the optional formats for WordPerfect Office users (ODF is another), there could still be if not a roadblock, then at least a stumbling block, for OOXML ahead: While ECMA International has already approved OOXML as an open standard, and is working to acquire fast-track status for its ultimate approval by the International Standards Organization, which would limit time for debate over its adoption to five months.
Last month, however, the ISO acknowledged it had received objections to fast-track status for OOXML by 19 member countries. Microsoft's and ECMA's deadline for responding to those objections passed yesterday.
Among the comments from individuals and organizations that ISO has thus far received include several that state adoption of Office Open XML would violate ISO rules, claiming it was developed by a single company. However, ECMA lists 11 other companies besides Microsoft as having contributed to the standard, including Apple, Intel, Novell, Toshiba, the British Library, and the Library of Congress.
Regardless of how the ISO chooses to handle those objections, the Open Forum Europe industry group is on record as objecting to the process by which Microsoft and ECMA were given time to respond in the first place, citing a lack of transparency. "We believe that bearing in mind the number and extent of the concerns raised worldwide, this date is unrealistic," reads an entry on the Alliance's Web site posted last month. "What process do ISO intend to follow which facilitates this evaluation and allow transparency of the debate?"
Without fast-track status, member nations could debate the worthiness of OOXML for the next few years, after which time, the next version of Microsoft Office might ironically be imminent. If the debate lasts beyond California's 1/1/2008 deadline - assuming the bill passes - then the Legislature might find itself arguing over whether ECMA is a large enough organization to qualify as "an open industry organization with a well-defined inclusive process for evolution of the standard."
Microsoft cannot use ODF unless some organisation wants to take on liability for future patent claims.
We have seen that using MP3 where MS payed for a licanse to the Fraunhofer institute in windows has slammed MS for 1,5 billion dollars.
Unless ODF is proven to be patentfree (which is practically impossible) MS won't touch it.
Also Sun where the format originated has control over the development of ODF with it patent claims hanging over future development as they have waived their patents only if Sun is a major contributer in development. So if Sun says no to development or Sun gets taken over, ODF development could be severely hindered. That is not a format option for Microsoft to use.
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|Wow, you have so many facts wrong, I don't know where to start. But let's make this simple. ODF was developed as an application-independent file format by OASIS, (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards), a vendor-neutral standards organization. Lots of companies offered their input, among them Sun. Sun controls StarOffice, but not ODF.
Next question.
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|The thing with XML is that you can convert to any other XML format. It might not be easy, but it's possible. Infopath saves documents as .xml. I opened up one and was able to understand it.
I also saved our Infopath forms to Sharepoint (where I could read the automatically extracted data right through my browser) and then clicked on a link to save the data as an Excel file that I can update by clicking on the Refresh button (in Excel). An additional bonus was being able to do conditional formatting and countif to quickly find trends. The file was an Excel 2007 .xlsx file, but I was able to save it as Excel 2000 and it still worked.
I'm going to try to convert all our forms to Infopath. That'll be better overall then our current setup (except for our timesheets being in Excel). It's nice having a spreadsheet automatically add up your hours (going to see if Infopath does that).
Btw, Office 2003 can open Office 2007 files. You get prompted to download a Compatibility Pack when you try to open an Office 2007 file in Office 2003.
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|Everyone is going XML crazy. I'm sure in a few years, everyone will realize it was another great idea for computing that was completely overrated and over used.
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|Clearly you missed the whole point of XML, which is to provide a neutral format for data interchange that is independent of language or locale and capable of storing arbitrary data.
The world is embracing XML not because it's the "latest thing", but because it addresses real problems, like how to store information today that can still be read/understood/updated 10-50 years from now!
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|Is Corel still around? I thought they went bust.
Oh that's right, Microsoft bailed them out and has been pouring in a lot of money, apparently it was in their interests to keep some token office software competition around.
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|Taxpayers just want to protect public documents from a corporation, and among other reasons, so that they stop paying the Microsoft tax built-in to proprietary file formats. Few realize that Microsoft changed its office file format six of its last eight versions! Here are quotes from Microsoft on standards. It seems both Germany and Kenya have the right idea: offer to allow Microsoft to add their legacy code to ODF, and let OXML either die with 2007, or let Microsoft go it alone. Otherwise, Microsoft doesn't appear to be serious about the ISO process. Here's a tidbit from the above link from an email of Bill Gates:
One thing we have got to change is our strategy — allowing Office documents to be rendered very well by other peoples browsers is one of the most destructive things we could do to the company.... We have to stop putting any effort into this and make sure that Office documents very well depends on PROPRIETARY IE capabilities.... Anything else is suicide for our platform. This is a case where Office has to avoid doing something to destroy Windows.
What's funny is that OXML may well have killed it. Microsoft bet on the wrong (backward and proprietary) format and lost. Meanwhile the ODF Alliance, OASIS, OpenOffice, Sun, Google, ThinkFree, Zoho, Corel, are all moving on with ODF and sidestepping Microsoft's disastrous OXML format altogether. This has to be an embarrassing time, even the Wall Street Journal (a conservative bastion of nuttery) thinks Microsoft made a fateful turn with Vista and Office 2007.
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