Office Open Xtensible Mark-up Language, or Open XML, is a file format for documents, spreadsheets and presentations that was to be used with the 2007.
ISO to decide on use of Office Open Xtensible Mark-up Language as global standard on March 29
MUMBAI: Office Open Xtensible Mark-up Language, or Open XML, is a file format for documents, spreadsheets and presentations that was to be used with the 2007 and later editions of Microsoft Office software suite.
US-based ECMA International, a Microsoft ally, had sought sought a recommendation from India so that Open XML could be certified by the International Standards Organisation as a standard file-saving format globally.
But the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), instead, gave it the thumbs down with 13 of its 22-member committee voting against the move.
Six months back, ISO member-countries had received request for recommendation from ECMA and ISO on what should be the document standard.
Globally, more than 95% of Office applications are Microsoft products, so the rejection would be a big blow to the IT behemoth.
The ISO will take a final decision based on global response on March 29, and a final rejection would put the Seattle supernova in a big spot of bother.
That would also force Microsoft to adopt open standards more vigorously.
An expert at IIT Mumbai, requesting anonymity, said, “Microsoft would now have to be more interoperable (that is, adaptable with other software operating systems) and be transparent about the same.”
Microsoft has faced stiff penalties for government agencies over interoperability issues in recent times.
Last month it was fined euros 899 million for failure to disclose interface documentation which would allow non-Microsoft work group servers to achieve full interoperability with Windows PCs and servers at a reasonable price.
A standardised, ISO format helps seamless electronic communications especially at the global governmental level.
The BIS decision has brought obvious cheer to the open standard community.
Writing in his blog after the BIS decision, Venkatesh Hariharan, co-founder of Open Source Foundation of India and an ardent supporter of the competing ODF format said, “After a colossal amount of debate and discussion over the last one year, India has finally voted NO for OOXML. Today, the committee was asked “Should India change its September 2007 NO vote into a YES?” 13 members voted NO.... The government bodies, academic institutions and industry voted against Open XML.”
A Microsoft spokesperson told DNA Money, “We are waiting for the ISO decision and happy that TCS, Infosys and Nasscom have shown their support for Open XML getting an ISO certification.”
The rival ODF format has been developed by a consortium called the Organisation for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). It is supported by the likes of Sun Microsystems, IBM, Red Hat and others.
OASIS members believe that Open XML is compatible only with Microsoft documents and that it has been deliberately made not to be interoperable to office applications developed by other vendors.
The ODF camp claims their format ensures interoperability with documents from diverse vendors.
But Microsoft on its part has realised the issue of growing demand for choice in data saving formats.
It has also made available interfaces to facilitate use of Open XML with Macintosh (an operating system from Apple).
It has developed translators that can translate, open and save from Open XML to ODF and vice versa.
t_amit@dnaindia.net
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