Microsoft adds ODF support
p2p news / p2pnet: Microsoft has caved in to pressure, launching an open-source project to allow translation between the OpenXML and ODF.
Its open-source Open XML Translator project will, “create tools to build a technical bridge between the Microsoft Office Open XML Formats and the OpenDocument Format (ODF),” says Microsoft, going on:
“This work is in response to government requests for interoperability with ODF because they work with constituent groups that use that format. In addition to being made available as free, downloadable add-ins for several older versions of the Microsoft Office system, the translation tools will be developed and licensed as open source software. The translation tools will be broadly available to the industry for use with other individual or commercial projects to accelerate document interoperability and expand customer choice between Open XML and other technologies.”
But if the idea is to come up with universal file formats, “I’m still not quite convinced this is a big step forward,” says Michael J. Miller in PC Magazine, going on:
“From a legal standpoint, it’s good that no company owns ODF. But from a practical standpoint, we already have file formats that are used by just about everyone – and those are the Microsoft Office formats, such as DOC and XLS.
“Now, I know Microsoft technically owns the formats, but in practice, just about everyone uses them. Not just Microsoft Office users, either. WordPerfect, StarOffice, and OpenOffice can read and write them as well. (In fact, I’ve often used WordPerfect, with a default of MS Office formats, because so many people use those formats). Even newer web-applications, like Google Spreadsheet can read XLS files. One can argue about the quality of formatting between applications, but the basic data transfers very well.
“Meanwhile, how many people can read and write ODF files? Not many. OpenOffice supports it, and that’s about it. In the long run, that may change – and that could be a good thing, but I suspect most people will stay with the older formats.”
Microsoft is leaving the main development work to partner companies including Clever Age, Aztecsoft and Dialogika, based in France, India and Germany respectively, says vnunet.com, adding:
“But Microsoft is still dragging its feet, according to Simon Phipps, chief open source officer at Sun Microsystems, and a long-time supporter of the ODF format.”
Although the tool allows users to import and export ODF documents in Office 2007, “it will not allow users to set ODF as the default Office file format.
” ‘Microsoft has architected this to make ODF as hard to work with as possible,’ Phipps wrote on his blog. ‘But it does mean that those who have to stick with Microsoft’s products are able to join in with ODF-based workflows’.”
Digg this.
Also See:
Microsoft – Microsoft Expands Document Interoperability, July 5, 2006
PC Magazine – Does ODF support really matter?, July 6, 2006
vnunet.com – Microsoft flip-flops on ODF support, July , 2006
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July 7th, 2006 at 2:35 pm
No because anyone with even a hint of brain uses open office!!
July 7th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
The .doc and .xls formats are pretty well entrenched out there. Adoption of ODF could be a slow process. At $300 plus per seat for M$ Office I think Open Office could gain some real traction in the buisness world. The 2.x versions are becoming real competition for MS Office on a functional level. It’s a no brainer on the financial side. If nothing else it will force MS to lower the price of Office…
http://www.openoffice.org/
Jon, how about a link to Open Office in the story?