Microsoft's Counter-Move
Published on 21 Nov 2005 · Filed in Musing · 158 words (estimated 1 minutes to read)The rallying cry around OpenDocument prompted Microsoft to make its counter-move. As fully expected, Microsoft is trying to create a standard based on Microsoft’s own (until now) proprietary XML formats. Please tell me you saw this coming, right?
With companies from Novell to Corel standing in support of the OpenDocument format, a new coalition forming in support of the format, and governments agencies such as the State of Massachusetts requiring the use of file formats such as PDF and OpenDocument, clearly Microsoft was worried. Otherwise, why try to create an alternate standard of your own creation? Why not just join the existing standards? Many are also saying that Microsoft’s decision to include PDF support in the next version of Office is another attempt to keep from being shut out. After all, Office is a major cash cow for Microsoft, so the company will do whatever it can to provent a loss of marketshare (and revenue as a result).