Open XML - Show your Support!

  • Article

vistaoffice

This year is an important year for Microsoft as ECMA Office Open XML, the document format in Office 2007, is currently being considered for ratification as an international standard for document formats before the ISO committee.

Ratification of Ecma Office Open XML as an ISO standard is highly desirable for governments, IT User and the the ICT sector as a whole. It will create choice and enhance competition in the market place between document formats and will drive interoperability which of course is a very good thing. There are several benefits of this document format:

  • Highest quality standard that documents all aspects of the format
  • Puts powerful extensibility in the hands of the users
  • Detailed specifications enables multiple interoperable implementations of individual features.
  • Enables compatibility with billions of existing documents
  • Serves user needs in the areas of cultural diversity, accessibility and long term preservation of documents.
  • Puts control over the evolution of the standards in the hands largest user community that being the ISO.

On December 8th 2006 Ecma International approved the adoption of Open XML as an international document standard. Now it's Australia's turn and we need your help to support this format. There are 3 ways you can do this:

  • Provide us with a 2-4 sentence statement of support for this document format that can be posted publicly.
  • Send a letter of support to the local standards body at:

Attention: Alistair Tegart

JTC-1 representative,

Standards Australia
GPO Box 476

SYDNEY NSW 2001

Please help us get behind this important cause and if you have statement of support or would like a sample letter you can send to Standards Australia then please email me at jeffa@microsoft.com.

Technorati Tags: Office 2007, Open XML, Standards

Cheers, Jeffa