<s>
The	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
file	O
formats	O
were	O
standardised	O
between	O
December	O
2006	O
and	O
November	O
2008	O
,	O
first	O
by	O
the	O
Ecma	O
International	O
consortium	O
(	O
where	O
they	O
became	O
ECMA-376	B-Operating_System
)	O
,	O
and	O
subsequently	O
,	O
after	O
a	O
contentious	O
standardization	O
process	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
ISO/IEC	O
'	O
s	O
Joint	O
Technical	O
Committee	O
1	O
(	O
where	O
they	O
became	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500:2008	I-Operating_System
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
being	O
asked	O
by	O
the	O
European	O
Union	O
to	O
standardize	O
their	O
Office	B-Operating_System
2003	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
formats	I-Operating_System
,	O
Microsoft	O
submitted	O
2,000	O
pages	O
of	O
documentation	O
for	O
a	O
new	O
file	O
format	O
to	O
the	O
Ecma	O
International	O
consortium	O
for	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
made	O
into	O
an	O
open	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ecma	O
formed	O
a	O
technical	O
committee	O
(	O
TC45	O
)	O
in	O
December	O
2005	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
produce	O
and	O
maintain	O
a	O
"	O
formal	O
standard	O
for	O
office	O
productivity	O
applications	O
that	O
is	O
fully	O
compatible	O
with	O
the	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
Formats	O
,	O
submitted	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
technical	O
committee	O
was	O
chaired	O
by	O
two	O
Microsoft	O
employees	O
and	O
included	O
members	O
drawn	O
from	O
Apple	O
,	O
Canon	O
,	O
Intel	O
,	O
NextPage	O
,	O
Novell	O
,	O
Pioneer	O
,	O
Statoil	O
ASA	O
,	O
Toshiba	O
,	O
The	O
United	O
States	O
Library	O
of	O
Congress	O
,	O
The	O
British	O
Library	O
and	O
the	O
Gnome	B-Language
Foundation	I-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
approved	O
as	O
an	O
Ecma	O
standard	O
(	O
ECMA-376	B-Operating_System
)	O
on	O
December	O
7	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
their	O
entitlement	O
as	O
an	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC	O
1	O
external	O
Category	O
A	O
liaison	O
,	O
Ecma	O
International	O
submitted	O
ECMA-376	B-Operating_System
to	O
the	O
JTC	O
1	O
fast	O
track	O
standardization	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
they	O
submitted	O
the	O
documents	O
"	O
Explanatory	O
report	O
on	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
Standard	O
(	O
Ecma-376	B-Operating_System
)	O
submitted	O
to	O
JTC	O
1	O
for	O
fast-track	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Licensing	O
conditions	O
that	O
Microsoft	O
offers	O
for	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ISO	O
and	O
IEC	O
classified	O
the	O
specification	O
as	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
(	O
Draft	O
International	O
Standard	O
29500	O
)	O
Information	O
technology	O
–	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
file	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
standardization	B-Architecture
of	I-Architecture
Office	I-Architecture
Open	I-Architecture
XML	I-Architecture
,	O
Ecma	O
International	O
submitted	O
its	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
File	O
Formats	O
standard	O
(	O
ECMA-376	B-Operating_System
)	O
to	O
the	O
ISO	O
Fast	O
Track	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
supporting	O
side	O
were	O
primarily	O
Microsoft	O
affiliated	O
companies	O
;	O
on	O
the	O
opposing	O
side	O
were	O
free	O
-	O
or	O
open-source	B-License
software	O
organizations	O
,	O
IBM	O
and	O
affiliates	O
,	O
Sun	O
Microsystems	O
,	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
On	O
2529	O
February	O
2008	O
,	O
a	O
Ballot	O
Resolution	O
Meeting	O
was	O
held	O
in	O
Geneva	O
,	O
Switzerland	O
,	O
to	O
consider	O
revisions	O
to	O
the	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
proposal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
outcome	O
of	O
,	O
and	O
period	O
following	O
,	O
this	O
meeting	O
decided	O
whether	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
succeeded	O
or	O
failed	O
in	O
its	O
bid	O
to	O
become	O
an	O
International	O
Standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
BRM	O
took	O
place	O
in	O
late	O
February	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
JTC	O
1	O
members	O
took	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
amend	O
their	O
votes	O
,	O
predominantly	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
approval	O
of	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thus	O
,	O
on	O
April	O
2	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
ISO	O
and	O
IEC	O
officially	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
had	O
been	O
approved	O
for	O
acceptance	O
as	O
an	O
ISO/IEC	O
Standard	O
,	O
pending	O
any	O
appeals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
appeals	O
system	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
find	O
a	O
solution	O
by	O
consensus	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
unlikely	O
that	O
the	O
process	O
would	O
have	O
resulted	O
in	O
ISO/IEC	O
abandoning	O
progress	O
of	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CEOs	O
of	O
ISO	O
and	O
IEC	O
advised	O
the	O
management	O
board	O
that	O
these	O
appeals	O
should	O
no	O
longer	O
be	O
processed	O
any	O
further	O
:	O
the	O
Secretary	O
General	O
of	O
ISO	O
is	O
reported	O
as	O
stating	O
:	O
"[t]he	O
processing	O
of	O
the	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
DIS	I-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
project	O
has	O
been	O
conducted	O
in	O
conformity	O
with	O
the	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC	O
1	O
Directives	O
,	O
with	O
decisions	O
determined	O
by	O
the	O
votes	O
expressed	O
by	O
the	O
relevant	O
ISO	O
and	O
IEC	O
national	O
bodies	O
under	O
their	O
own	O
responsibility	O
,	O
and	O
consequently	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
reasons	O
mentioned	O
above	O
,	O
the	O
appeals	O
should	O
not	O
be	O
processed	O
further	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
appeals	O
did	O
not	O
get	O
sufficient	O
support	O
of	O
the	O
National	O
Bodies	O
voting	O
on	O
the	O
ISO	O
and	O
IEC	O
management	O
boards	O
,	O
and	O
consequently	O
the	O
go-ahead	O
was	O
given	O
to	O
publish	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
DIS	I-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
,	O
Information	O
technology	O
–	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
formats	O
,	O
as	O
an	O
ISO/IEC	O
International	O
Standard	O
on	O
August	O
15	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
International	O
Standard	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500:2008	I-Operating_System
was	O
published	O
in	O
November	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
standardization	O
of	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
,	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC	O
1/SC	O
34	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
designated	O
maintenance	O
group	O
for	O
the	O
standard	O
,	O
established	O
two	O
ad	O
hoc	O
groups	O
for	O
deciding	O
how	O
the	O
Standard	O
would	O
be	O
maintained	O
:	O
a	O
group	O
to	O
collect	O
comments	O
on	O
the	O
newly	O
approved	O
standard	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
group	O
to	O
decide	O
what	O
structures	O
should	O
be	O
used	O
for	O
long-term	O
maintenance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
resulting	O
recommendation	O
was	O
that	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC	O
1/SC	O
34	O
should	O
assume	O
full	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
maintenance	O
work	O
on	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
21	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
"	O
an	O
active	O
participant	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
evolution	O
of	O
ODF	B-Application
,	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
,	O
XPS	B-Device
and	O
PDF	B-Application
standards	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
is	O
maintained	O
within	O
Working	O
Group	O
4	O
(	O
"	O
WG	O
4	O
"	O
)	O
of	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC	O
1/SC	O
34	O
under	O
the	O
convenorship	O
of	O
MURATA	O
Makoto	O
of	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WG	O
4	O
has	O
a	O
web	O
site	O
and	O
open	B-Application
document	I-Application
register	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
have	O
been	O
allegations	O
that	O
the	O
ISO	O
ballot	O
process	O
for	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
was	O
marred	O
with	O
voting	O
irregularities	O
and	O
heavy-handed	O
tactics	O
by	O
some	O
stakeholders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Ars	O
Technica	O
article	O
sources	O
Groklaw	B-Application
stating	O
that	O
at	O
Portugal	O
's	O
national	O
body	O
TC	O
meeting	O
,	O
"	O
representatives	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
attempted	O
to	O
argue	O
that	O
Sun	O
Microsystems	O
,	O
the	O
creators	O
and	O
supporters	O
of	O
the	O
competing	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
format	I-Application
(	O
ODF	B-Application
)	O
,	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
given	O
a	O
seat	O
at	O
the	O
conference	O
table	O
because	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
chairs.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Sweden	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
notified	O
the	O
Swedish	O
Standards	O
Institute	O
(	O
SIS	O
)	O
that	O
an	O
employee	O
sent	O
a	O
memo	O
to	O
two	O
of	O
its	O
partners	O
,	O
requesting	O
them	O
to	O
join	O
the	O
SIS	O
committee	O
and	O
vote	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
in	O
return	O
for	O
"	O
marketing	O
contributions	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
chairman	O
of	O
the	O
relevant	O
SNV	O
parent	O
committee	O
is	O
also	O
the	O
secretary	O
general	O
of	O
Ecma	O
International	O
,	O
which	O
approved	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
as	O
a	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Australia	O
's	O
national	O
standards	O
body	O
,	O
Standards	O
Australia	O
,	O
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
its	O
handling	O
of	O
the	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
process	O
by	O
the	O
New	O
Zealand	O
Open	B-License
Source	I-License
Society	O
,	O
the	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
advisory	O
firm	O
Waugh	O
Partners	O
,	O
Australian	O
National	O
University	O
Professor	O
Roger	O
Clarke	O
,	O
OASIS	O
lawyer	O
Andrew	O
Updegrove	O
,	O
IBM	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Standards	O
Australia	O
sent	O
ISO	O
SC	O
34	O
expert	O
and	O
XML	O
and	O
Schematron	B-Language
specialist	O
Rick	O
Jelliffe	O
to	O
the	O
BRM	O
,	O
despite	O
critics	O
alleging	O
that	O
Jelliffe	O
would	O
not	O
represent	O
the	O
views	O
of	O
those	O
opposing	O
the	O
standardization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jelliffe	O
had	O
previously	O
been	O
in	O
the	O
news	O
after	O
being	O
offered	O
payment	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
to	O
improve	O
incorrect	O
Wikipedia	O
articles	O
about	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
had	O
bought	O
a	O
schema	O
conversion	O
tool	O
from	O
his	O
company	O
and	O
he	O
had	O
performed	O
the	O
initial	O
conversion	O
of	O
the	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
schemas	O
from	O
XML	O
Schemas	O
to	O
RELAX	O
NG	O
,	O
both	O
schema	O
languages	O
he	O
had	O
been	O
involved	O
in	O
standardizing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Membership	O
in	O
the	O
technical	O
committee	O
had	O
risen	O
from	O
6	O
–	O
7	O
to	O
30	O
members	O
;	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
pre-OOXML	O
members	O
argued	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
no	O
"	O
vote	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2008	O
,	O
13	O
of	O
the	O
23	O
members	O
,	O
12	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
open-source	B-License
movement	O
,	O
resigned	O
after	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
was	O
ratified	O
by	O
ISO	O
and	O
all	O
appeals	O
were	O
rejected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
IDABC	O
community	O
programme	O
(	O
which	O
is	O
managed	O
by	O
the	O
European	O
Commission	O
)	O
runs	O
the	O
"	O
Open	B-License
Source	I-License
Observatory	O
"	O
which	O
is	O
"	O
dedicated	O
to	O
Free/Libre/Open	O
Source	O
Software.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Via	O
its	O
"	O
Open	B-License
Source	I-License
News	O
"	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
reported	O
on	O
reports	O
which	O
criticize	O
the	O
standardization	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
states	O
that	O
the	O
German	O
IT	O
news	O
site	O
Heise	O
reports	O
that	O
in	O
Germany	O
,	O
two	O
opponents	O
of	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
,	O
Deutsche	O
Telekom	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
were	O
not	O
allowed	O
to	O
vote	O
because	O
they	O
tried	O
to	O
join	O
the	O
committee	O
last-minute	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Open	B-License
Source	I-License
News	O
says	O
,	O
"	O
Participants	O
described	O
the	O
process	O
as	O
ludicrous.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
relays	O
a	O
report	O
from	O
Michiel	O
Leenaars	O
(	O
director	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
Society	O
Netherlands	O
)	O
that	O
in	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
chair	O
of	O
the	O
national	O
standardization	O
committee	O
deciding	O
on	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
,	O
protested	O
that	O
the	O
almost	O
unanimous	O
conditional	O
approval	O
was	O
blocked	O
by	O
Microsoft.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
reports	O
on	O
a	O
report	O
from	O
Borys	O
Musielak	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
Poland	O
's	O
Linux	B-Application
community	O
,	O
who	O
wrote	O
on	O
the	O
PolishLinux	O
website	O
that	O
Poland	O
's	O
technical	O
committee	O
KT	O
171	O
rejected	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
member	O
of	O
Poland	O
's	O
Linux	B-Application
community	O
believes	O
this	O
was	O
due	O
to	O
"	O
reorganisation	O
in	O
the	O
Polish	O
standardisation	O
body.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
KT	O
182	O
voted	O
to	O
approve	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
reports	O
that	O
in	O
Portugal	O
,	O
eleven	O
companies	O
(	O
including	O
IBM	O
)	O
and	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
advocacy	O
groups	O
requested	O
that	O
Portugal	O
's	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Economy	O
and	O
Innovation	O
investigate	O
Portugal	O
's	O
vote	O
on	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
High	O
Court	O
of	O
Justice	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
rejected	O
a	O
complaint	O
by	O
the	O
UK	O
Unix	O
and	O
Open	O
Systems	O
User	O
Group	O
(	O
UKUUG	O
)	O
,	O
requesting	O
a	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
British	O
Standard	O
Institution	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
vote	O
in	O
favour	O
of	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
further	O
letter	O
of	O
protest	O
was	O
filed	O
by	O
Open	B-License
Source	I-License
Leverandørforeningen	O
,	O
a	O
Danish	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
vendor	O
association	O
although	O
no	O
appeal	O
has	O
been	O
filed	O
directly	O
by	O
Dansk	O
Standard	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IBM	O
issued	O
a	O
press	O
release	O
stating	O
:	O
"	O
IBM	O
will	O
continue	O
to	O
be	O
an	O
active	O
supporter	O
of	O
ODF	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
We	O
look	O
forward	O
to	O
being	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
community	O
that	O
works	O
to	O
harmonize	O
ODF	B-Application
and	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
for	O
the	O
sake	O
of	O
consumers	O
,	O
companies	O
and	O
governments	O
,	O
when	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
control	O
and	O
maintenance	O
is	O
fully	O
transferred	O
to	O
JTC1.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Deutsches	O
Institut	O
für	O
Normung	O
(	O
DIN	O
,	O
Germany	O
)	O
voted	O
"	O
yes	O
"	O
on	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
DIN	O
as	O
a	O
whole	O
"	O
recognised	O
that	O
there	O
has	O
been	O
no	O
serious	O
breach	O
of	O
JTC	O
1	O
and	O
ISO	O
rules	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
conclusion	O
has	O
been	O
reached	O
that	O
the	O
rules	O
for	O
the	O
fast-track	O
procedure	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
amended	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
plenary	O
meeting	O
of	O
JTC	O
1	O
in	O
Nara	O
,	O
Japan	O
that	O
took	O
place	O
in	O
November	O
2008	O
,	O
a	O
resolution	O
was	O
passed	O
which	O
related	O
to	O
concerns	O
expressed	O
during	O
the	O
standardisation	O
of	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
mirrored	O
the	O
process	O
that	O
had	O
taken	O
place	O
for	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
European	O
Commission	O
started	O
an	O
antitrust	O
investigation	O
into	O
the	O
interoperability	O
of	O
the	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
format	O
on	O
the	O
request	O
of	O
European	O
Committee	O
for	O
Interoperable	O
Systems	O
,	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
coalition	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
largest	O
competitors	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Financial	O
Times	O
reports	O
that	O
European	O
ISO	O
members	O
have	O
confirmed	O
receipt	O
of	O
a	O
letter	O
by	O
the	O
European	O
Commission	O
"	O
asking	O
how	O
they	O
prepared	O
for	O
votes	O
 [ ... ] 	O
on	O
acceptance	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
document	O
format	O
as	O
a	O
worldwide	O
standard.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
7	O
,	O
Ecma	O
approved	O
the	O
adoption	O
of	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
as	O
an	O
international	O
open	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IBM	O
again	O
was	O
the	O
lone	O
dissenter	O
when	O
Ecma	O
also	O
agreed	O
to	O
submit	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
as	O
a	O
standard	O
for	O
ratification	O
by	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IBM	O
led	O
a	O
global	O
campaign	O
urging	O
national	O
bodies	O
to	O
demand	O
that	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC1	O
not	O
even	O
consider	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
,	O
because	O
ODF	B-Application
had	O
made	O
it	O
through	O
ISO/IEC	O
JTC1	O
first	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nicos	O
Tsilas	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
senior	O
director	O
of	O
interoperability	O
and	O
intellectual	O
property	O
policy	O
,	O
downplaying	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
American	O
and	O
EU	O
conviction	O
as	O
abusers	O
of	O
monopoly	O
power	O
,	O
expressed	O
concern	O
that	O
IBM	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Free	I-Operating_System
Software	I-Operating_System
Foundation	I-Operating_System
have	O
been	O
lobbying	O
governments	O
to	O
mandate	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
rival	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
format	I-Application
(	O
ODF	B-Application
)	O
to	O
the	O
exclusion	O
of	O
other	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IBM	O
have	O
asked	O
governments	O
to	O
have	O
an	O
open-source	B-License
,	O
exclusive	O
purchasing	O
policy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sun	O
Microsystems	O
initially	O
voted	O
against	O
approval	O
of	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
in	O
the	O
INCITS	O
V1	O
committee	O
,	O
but	O
stated	O
on	O
the	O
committee	O
mailing	O
list	O
"	O
We	O
wish	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
completely	O
clear	O
that	O
we	O
support	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
becoming	O
an	O
ISO	O
Standard	O
and	O
are	O
in	O
complete	O
agreement	O
with	O
its	O
stated	O
purposes	O
of	O
enabling	O
interoperability	O
among	O
different	O
implementations	O
and	O
providing	O
interoperable	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
legacy	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Office	I-Application
documents.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
and	O
that	O
"	O
We	O
voted	O
in	O
the	O
expectation	O
that	O
 [ ... ] 	O
changes	O
will	O
be	O
made	O
and	O
that	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
DIS	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
capable	O
of	O
achieving	O
its	O
objectives	O
would	O
be	O
approved	O
as	O
an	O
ISO	O
Standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ODF	B-Application
Alliance	O
India	O
published	O
an	O
extensive	O
technical	O
report	O
in	O
2007	O
containing	O
concrete	O
issues	O
by	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
association	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
replies	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
British	O
Library	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Library	O
of	O
Congress	O
have	O
participated	O
in	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
Ecma	O
TC45	O
and	O
support	O
the	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
Gnome	B-Language
Foundation	I-Language
board	O
member	O
Miguel	O
de	O
Icaza	O
,	O
who	O
started	O
the	O
GNOME	B-Application
and	O
Mono	B-Application
projects	I-Application
,	O
showed	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
document	I-Operating_System
format	O
,	O
stating	O
"	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
superb	O
standard	O
and	O
yet	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
been	O
FUDed	O
so	O
badly	O
by	O
its	O
competitors	O
that	O
serious	O
people	O
believe	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
something	O
fundamentally	O
wrong	O
with	O
it.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
new	O
format	O
which	O
is	O
not	O
backwards	O
or	O
forwards	O
compatible	O
with	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
old	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Office	I-Application
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
regards	O
to	O
the	O
alleged	O
overlap	O
in	O
scope	O
with	O
the	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
format	I-Application
,	O
Ecma	O
has	O
provided	O
the	O
following	O
policy	O
arguments	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
standardization	O
:	O
overlap	O
in	O
scope	O
of	O
ISO/IEC	O
standards	O
is	O
common	O
and	O
can	O
serve	O
a	O
practical	O
purpose	O
;	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
addresses	O
distinct	O
user	O
requirements	O
;	O
The	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
Format	I-Application
and	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
are	O
structured	O
to	O
meet	O
different	O
user	O
requirements	O
;	O
and	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
and	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
can	O
serve	O
as	O
duo-standards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Open	O
Packaging	O
Conventions	O
which	O
allows	O
for	O
Indirection	O
,	O
Chunking	B-General_Concept
and	O
Relative	O
indirection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uses	O
the	O
ZIP	B-General_Concept
format	O
,	O
making	O
ZIP	B-General_Concept
part	O
of	O
the	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
contains	O
alternate	O
representations	O
for	O
the	O
XML	O
schemas	O
and	O
extensibility	O
mechanisms	O
using	O
RELAX	O
NG	O
(	O
ISO/IEC	O
19757-2	O
)	O
and	O
NVDL	O
(	O
ISO/IEC	O
19757-4	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
Embedded	O
controls	O
can	O
be	O
of	O
any	O
type	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Java	B-Language
or	O
ActiveX	B-Application
,	O
Book	O
1	O
§	O
15.2.8	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WordprocessingML	B-Operating_System
font	O
specifications	O
can	O
include	O
font	O
metrics	O
and	O
PANOSE	O
information	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
finding	O
a	O
substitution	O
font	O
if	O
the	O
original	O
is	O
not	O
available	O
,	O
Book	O
3	O
§	O
2.10.5	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
situation	O
where	O
a	O
consuming	O
application	O
might	O
not	O
be	O
capable	O
of	O
interpreting	O
what	O
a	O
producing	O
application	O
wrote	O
,	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
defines	O
an	O
Alternate	O
Content	O
Block	O
which	O
can	O
represent	O
said	O
data	O
in	O
an	O
alternate	O
format	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
an	O
image	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
date	O
representation	O
:	O
In	O
WordprocessingML	B-Operating_System
(	O
Book	O
4	O
§	O
2.18.7	O
)	O
and	O
SpreadsheetML	O
(	O
Book	O
4	O
§	O
3.18.5	O
)	O
,	O
calendar	O
dates	O
after	O
1900	O
CE	O
can	O
be	O
written	O
using	O
Gregorian	O
(	O
three	O
variants	O
)	O
,	O
Hebrew	O
,	O
Hijri	O
,	O
Japanese	O
(	O
Emperor	O
Era	O
)	O
,	O
Korean	O
(	O
Tangun	O
Era	O
)	O
,	O
Saka	O
,	O
Taiwanese	O
,	O
and	O
Thai	O
formats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Objectors	O
also	O
claim	O
that	O
there	O
could	O
be	O
user	O
confusion	O
regarding	O
the	O
two	O
standards	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
similarity	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
"	O
name	O
to	O
both	O
"	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
"	O
and	O
"	O
OpenOffice	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
ISO	O
were	O
to	O
give	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
with	O
its	O
6546	O
pages	O
the	O
same	O
level	O
of	O
review	O
that	O
other	O
standards	O
have	O
seen	O
,	O
it	O
would	O
take	O
18	O
years	O
(	O
6576	O
days	O
for	O
6546	O
pages	O
)	O
to	O
achieve	O
comparable	O
levels	O
of	O
review	O
to	O
the	O
existing	O
ODF	B-Application
standard	O
(	O
871	O
days	O
for	O
867	O
pages	O
)	O
which	O
achieves	O
the	O
same	O
purpose	O
and	O
is	O
thus	O
a	O
good	O
comparison	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Considering	O
that	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
has	O
only	O
received	O
about	O
5.5	O
%	O
of	O
the	O
review	O
that	O
comparable	O
standards	O
have	O
undergone	O
,	O
reports	O
about	O
inconsistencies	O
,	O
contradictions	O
and	O
missing	O
information	O
are	O
hardly	O
surprising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Those	O
who	O
support	O
the	O
ODF	B-Application
standard	O
include	O
the	O
FFII	O
,	O
ODF	B-Application
Alliance	O
IBM	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
South	O
Africa	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
nations	O
that	O
voiced	O
strong	O
opposition	O
to	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
during	O
standardization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ODF	B-Application
Alliance	O
UK	O
Action	O
Group	O
has	O
stated	O
that	O
with	O
OpenDocument	B-Application
an	O
ISO	O
standard	O
for	O
Office	O
files	O
already	O
exists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
they	O
argue	O
that	O
the	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
file-format	O
is	O
heavily	O
based	O
on	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
own	O
Office	B-Application
applications	I-Application
and	O
is	O
thus	O
not	O
vendor-neutral	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
has	O
inconsistencies	O
with	O
existing	O
ISO	O
standards	O
such	O
as	O
time	O
and	O
date	O
formats	O
and	O
color	O
codes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
standardization	O
process	O
itself	O
has	O
been	O
questioned	O
,	O
including	O
claims	O
of	O
balloting	O
irregularities	O
by	O
some	O
technical	O
committees	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
representatives	O
and	O
Microsoft	O
partners	O
in	O
trying	O
to	O
get	O
Office	B-Operating_System
Open	I-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
approved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
a	O
panel	O
discussion	O
on	O
Red	O
Hat	O
Summit	O
in	O
Boston	O
in	O
June	O
2008	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
national	O
technology	O
officer	O
Stuart	O
McKee	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
ODF	B-Application
has	O
clearly	O
won	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
25	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
Gray	O
Knowlton	O
,	O
a	O
Group	O
Product	O
Manager	O
for	O
the	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Office	I-Application
system	I-Application
made	O
the	O
following	O
statements	O
regarding	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
:	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
will	O
continue	O
to	O
support	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
specification	O
and	O
the	O
adoption	O
of	O
the	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
formats	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
work	O
we	O
are	O
driving	O
around	O
document	O
formats	O
in	O
Office	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
 [ ... ] 	O
In	O
the	O
end	O
,	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
is	O
still	O
the	O
better	O
choice	O
for	O
the	O
compatibility	O
and	O
line-of-business	O
interoperability	O
scenarios	O
we	O
have	O
discussed	O
throughout	O
its	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
 [ ... ] 	O
while	O
we	O
are	O
working	O
on	O
ODF	B-Application
moving	O
forward	O
,	O
we	O
will	O
remain	O
committed	O
to	O
Open	B-Operating_System
XML	I-Operating_System
and	O
believe	O
that	O
it	O
will	O
be	O
the	O
format	O
of	O
choice	O
for	O
large	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
global	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
,	O
Richard	O
Stallman	O
,	O
head	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Free	I-Operating_System
Software	I-Operating_System
Foundation	I-Operating_System
,	O
said	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
corrupted	O
many	O
members	O
of	O
ISO	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
win	O
approval	O
for	O
its	O
phony	O
'	O
open	O
 '	O
document	O
format	O
,	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
31	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Dr	O
Alex	O
Brown	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
the	O
Convener	O
of	O
the	O
February	O
2008	O
Ballot	O
Resolution	O
Meeting	O
,	O
posted	O
an	O
entry	O
on	O
his	O
personal	O
blog	O
in	O
which	O
he	O
complained	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
lack	O
of	O
progress	O
in	O
adapting	O
current	O
and	O
future	O
versions	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Office	I-Application
to	O
produce	O
files	O
in	O
the	O
Strict	O
(	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
Transitional	O
)	O
ISO	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
format	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
its	O
pre-release	O
form	O
Office	O
2010	O
supports	O
not	O
the	O
approved	O
Strict	O
variant	O
of	O
OOXML	B-Operating_System
,	O
but	O
the	O
very	O
format	O
the	O
global	O
community	O
rejected	O
in	O
September	O
2007	O
,	O
and	O
subsequently	O
marked	O
as	O
not	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
new	O
documents	O
—	O
the	O
Transitional	O
variant	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
responded	O
that	O
the	O
next	O
release	O
of	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Office	I-Application
(	O
version	O
15	O
)	O
would	O
fully	O
support	O
ISO/IEC	B-Operating_System
29500	I-Operating_System
Strict	O
.	O
</s>
