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December 15, 2005
What's This about???
Microsoft annouced that it's co-sponsoring an XML standard called Open Office XML. This XML standard will be the default file format for Office 12, the next version of Microsoft Office.
Why does Microsoft want to facilitate the sharing of its documents with non-Microsoft products? Why does it want .doc, .xls, and .ppt documents to be readily readable by other products? Why does it want to enable DK Enterprises to produce the lightweight word processor that I really want (it looks a lot like Word 3.0, by the way).
Microsoft acts only to further its interests (as well it should!). So, what's the angle? It must believe that DK Enterprises cannot threaten Office sales ... and Sun's Open Office reads the Office binary files anyway ... so they're losing nothing with this standard and they are promulgating XML. Maybe use of XML benefits Microsoft's own product offerings? Makes the Office 12 suite sweeter? I have a nagging feeling I'm missing the real story. Any ideas?
Posted by DavidK at December 15, 2005 04:11 PM | Permalink