OOXML is an XML based document format devised by Microsoft. OOXML was placed on the International Standards Organisation (ISO) fast track process for adoption as an open document format.
Yes, ISO has already adopted ODF (Open Document Format) as an open document format.
An XML based file format for saving and exchanging editable office documents including books, reports, spreadsheets and presentations, that is open. A standard such as this is considered open when it si vendore neutral, open standard specification, free from any legal restrictions.
An ISO committee is voting whether OOXML should be adopted as an ISO standard, in addition to the existing ISO standard. The South African Bureau of Standards is the South African participant in ISO. The South African representative must decide whether to vote for or against the standard or abstain. The technical sub-committee was tasked with advising what South Africa should do.
An open document format standard means that every set of document software can open and modify the documents without formatting problems. Right now if you use some word processing programs, Microsoft Word, for instance you can't read documents made by other programs.
A single open document format means that you would not have a situation where you can't read a document someone else sent to you. It means that you would never have to buy a software program to understand a government document.
Even if a document is licensed so that it is legal to copy, and re-use the document, if it is in a proprietory format it is not really free, because people have to pay money to buy the program to access the document.
The sub-committee voted 13-4 to advise that the proposed standard should be rejected.
On 2 September the South African representative voted against acceptance of OOXML as a standard. The proposed standard failed to get enough votes for approval on the fast track process.
There are a number of technical problems with OOXML, together they indicate that the specification needs a lot of work before it can appropriately be considered by bodies such as ISO, these included undue reliance on legacy proprietory formats, failure to fully internationalise the standard, questions about integration.
During February the voting on the proposed standard, which took place in September 2007, will be subject to a ballot resolution meeting in which the vote could be changed, and the standard accepted in the fast track process.
If the proposed standard still does not gain acceptance in the fast track procedure it may be considered again under a longer ISO procedure.
A single global open document standard will make using technology cheaper and easier for everyone, and will help ensure access to knowledge in developing countries. That's because the current standard, ODF, is used by open source projects which provide free, open source software which is rapidly being adopted by the developing world.
A single standard increases access to knowledge. Incompatible global standards reduces access to knowledge.