HP asks for Open XML approval at ISO

The member list over at OpenXMLCommunity.org is definitely growing rapidly. I think they've already more than doubled the number of registered supporters since it started last month.

I recently saw this statement from HP about the standardization of Office document formats: https://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/cache/514506-0-0-0-121.html

Hewlett-Packard company is in favor of standards for office document formats, including the Office Open XML (OOXML) and Open Document Format (ODF) standards. We believe that the two standards will co-exist interoperably, and that customers should have the opportunity to select the standards which best fit their needs.

In the current vote on OOXML at JTC 1, HP is supporting an affirmative vote in those national standards bodies in which HP is active.

Very cool.

I think it's clear to most that if ISO takes on the stewardship of the Open XML specs, it means that everyone will be able to access the full documentation on the file formats going forward (regardless of what may happen to any one company). Document archival is extremely important, and the approval of Open XML will mean that we can take all the legacy binary documents and move them into a format that is not just fully documented, but maintained by an independent body.

-Brian

Comments

• Anonymous
  June 12, 2007
  PingBack from http://ctrambler.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/hp-supporting-ooxml/

• Anonymous
  June 12, 2007
  Its true that the memberlist is growing, but i really think the site could need a kickstart to get going! The site is pretty dead, and often a new user will join, post and when he doesnt get a reply try and get his answers elsewhere (for example on VSTO thread on MSDN fora where he well be referenced to OpenXmlDeveloper.org) It would be real nice if some MSFT supporter or maybe even a dev or two would give the site some attention, at least to get it going! just my thoughts :-) Anders