Redmond (WA) - Microsoft is supporting the rival Open Document Format or ODF to be listed on the American National Standards list.  The list is managed by ANSI which is the American National Standards Institute.  Of course Microsoft is still backing its Open XML format which is standard in Office 2007.

Microsoft’s Tom Robertson, general manager for Interoperability and Standards, says the company has listened to customers and adds, “The inclusion of ODF is just the beginning.”

In the international arena, ODF has already been approved by ISO.  Later this year, ISO members will vote on whether Open XML will make the cut.

Good faith?

May 18, 2007 00:04     

Sounds like MS is playing politics and trying to win favor with the ISO, et all.
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Patents?

May 20, 2007 01:28     

Just because something is an ANSI or ISO standard doesn't mean anyone can freely implement it. Has Microsoft exempted anyone from claims/prosecution for implementation of ODF or Open XML (what an awful name, BTW). For example, MPEG-4 is an ISO standard, but due to patents, you must pay a MPEG Licensing organization to sell implementations of it. If Microsoft wanted to block or disadvantage competing products, they could price licensing fees for patents used in these standards unreasonably high.

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