[Chapter-delegates] OOXML as standard: not likely but even impossible before 2009

[Christian de Larrinaga]

with thanks to Magnus Therning who posted this link to the ORG list
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/nhs/content/articles/document-formats-and- 
the-value-of-choice-in-healthcare.aspx

What is interesting is how Microsoft are using ECMA 'accreditation'  
to justify ooxml as an international standard and promoting its use  
in the NHS in the UK.  NHS is a very vulnerable target as it is a  
political football that has made some exceptionally bad decisions  
born of a lack of architectural vision.

It is also interesting that Microsoft have put a link on this page  
for people to support a petition to support ooxml at ISO.


Christian

On 7 Sep 2007, at 16:07, Michiel Leenaars wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> I hope you will find below analysis of what happens next in the
> controversial OOXML ISO process of interest.
>
> The result of the recent negative vote is quite significant. Whatever
> happens to OOXML at the Ballot Resolution meeting in Geneva, even if a
> magic pixie turns thousands of comments into thin air and all P- 
> members
> see the light, there cannot according to ISO/JTC1 SC34 be a so called
> Final Draft International Standard vote before december 2008 [1].
> After the socalled BRM in Geneva tentatively scheduled for Februari a
> modified DIS is to be sent to the voting nations again as an FDIS  
> (Final
> Draft International Standard) for a final approval vote (yes or no).
>
> If new members have joined by december 2008, or others have dropped  
> off
> again, the vote can still change and therefore ISO status will remain
> uncertain until the very last moment. If the vote is positive ISO  
> still
> takes some time for the final issuing as standard - formally up to 60
> days after FDIS approval to allow for appeals etc. I can't see why  
> they
> would want to rush this given the damage it occurred throughout the
> OOXML process. Only then (at best early 2009) could there be a formal
> 'de iure' ISO Standard.
>
> It is highly likely that given the turbulence around the standard
> this scenario is way too optimistic - perhaps years or even eternity.
> The technical work is extremely complex. Investigations around
> corruption, committeestacking and payola for votes will have their
> impact and make the otherwise already controversial OOXML even less
> attractive with the legacy binary formats still performing for the
> vast majority of users. My feeling is that OOXML will be too late to
> play any significant role in the game - and since it started only when
> ODF 1.0 was finished and a good five years after the work on that
> standard took off that is only logical. Microsoft should activate the
> native ODF support in Office 2007 it has probably been working since
> 2005 when the format got standardised at OASIS and just give in.
> Anything else will damage its customers and that would be a
> capital mistake.
>
> Kind regards,
> Michiel Leenaars
> Director ISOC.nl
>
> [1] http://www.jtc1sc34.org/document/secretariat_temp.html#is29500
>
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