Microsoft Will Support ODF If It Doesn’t ‘Restrict Choice Among Formats’

“In a policy document specifically timed for release this
afternoon, Microsoft’s general managers for interoperability, Tom
Robertson and Jean Paoli, make a play for ownership of the
standards issue facing users of competing document formats, by
saying the company would support ratification of its own Open XML
format along with OpenDocument Format (ODF) as ISO standards, if
and only if doing so would promote choice among the world’s
consumers.

“‘We should expect the creation of new formats in the future as
technology evolves, and, as has always been the case, users should
be able to choose the formats that work best for them,’ reads the
team’s open letter this afternoon. ‘Microsoft has consistently
supported choice, so it took no steps to hinder ISO/IEC’s
ratification of ODF 1.0 and supported ODF 1.0’s addition to the
American National Standards list. Microsoft will continue to
support recognition of ODF 1.0 and other formats on such lists
around the world as long as doing so in no way restricts choice
among formats…'”

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