Open Microsoft
Maija Palmer reports in FT.com that Microsoft has agreed to open its file formats.
[tease]
Governments, especially in Europe and Asia, have been among the most significant adopters of open-source software such as Linux and Sun’s OpenOffice, a direct competitor to Microsoft Office.
Microsoft will submit its Office file formats to Ecma International, the standards body, which will develop the documentation and make it available to the industry. The move is being supported by a number of organisations including Apple Computer, Barclays Capital, BP, Intel and Toshiba.
Within about 18 months, customers, competitors and developers should be able to download detailed files from Ecma on how to create a Microsoft Word, Powerpoint or Excel document.
[via tech.memeorandum]
[see also Scoble]