[Ecommerce] consumers and open document format: time to weigh in

[Manon Ress]

http://offzroad.blogspot.com/

ODF: It's time consumers weigh in

According to Wikipedia , the OpenDocument format (ODF), short for the
=93OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications=94, is a document
file format for saving and exchanging editable documents such as text
documents such as memos, reports, books, spreadsheets, charts, and
presentations. The OASIS industry consortium developed this new open
standard based upon the XML-based file format originally created by
OpenOffice.org.

On Tuesday December 13, 2005, I went to Boston with a coalition of IT
companies and trade associations to meet journalists from the Boston
Globe and the Boston Herald. I was in the company of Kirk Klasson
(Novell, VP Strategy), Tom Rabon (RedHat, EVP of Corporate affairs),
David leDuc (SIIA Director of public policy) Douglas Heintzman (IBM
Director of Software group technical Strategy), Doug Johnson (Sun,
Director of Corporate standards) and Will Rodger (CCIA director of
public policy) who organized two interesting press briefings on Open
Document Format.

Being the lone consumers=92 representative, I had to make it clear for
the journalists and the IT executives that consumer groups have not
only been asking for better access to government information for
several years now but we also have asked in many fora (WIPO, A2K
consultations, TACD events etc) for adoption of open standards that
would result in more choices and better prices. While the term =93ODF=94
might be =93new=94 to some, for many end users struggling with the
existing lack of inter-operability of file formats, the concept
behind it is not.

Open Document Format (ODF) discussions came out of the techies' world
and reached a broader public earlier this year when the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts passed a policy (being reviewed now) mandating the
use of Open Document Format for storing documents generated in
executive-branch state agencies. The new "universal" format would
work with many brands of software (proprietary and non proprietary)
and would be less likely to become obsolete. Basically, one could
read and use documents with programs other than Office. It should be
=93an easy sell=94, a =93no brainer=94, but the discussions are on- going a=
nd
intense. Today, the debate over the "Massachusetts state's
productivity application standards" continues at a state senate
hearing at the State House in Boston.

What=92s at stake? If we compare what is going on with the monopoly on
word processing to the openness, creativity and innovation in the
field of authoring tools for the web, it becomes clear that we could
see important changes if ODF becomes the mandated standard.

ODF is important for insuring access, competition, cost savings and
data sharing now and in the future. US and other governments as well
as all citizens and consumers of information would all benefit if the
Massachusetts administration were to take a leadership role and
establish a precedent.

Obviously, the state of Massachusetts is an important customer for
any provider and some observers describe the debate as a "battle"
between the "Rebel Alliance" i.e. .IBM, Sun, HP, Novell, Red Hat and
the "Empire" i.e. Microsoft. It is certainly about challenging its
monopoly ... but it is also about much more.

Amidst controversies (and even accusations against State officials),
the fate of Massachusetts=92 Open Document policy has taken on greater
significance. In the last few months we've seen more and more open
letters from IT industry executives and now libraries.

OASIS v. ECMA, two standards =93driving on two sides of the road=94?

The ODF was approved by the Oasis standards body earlier this year
and clearly competes with Microsoft's Relevant Products/Services from
Microsoft Open XML file format. In being open, ODF allows software
developers to freely support the standard, and ensure that users will
not be hit by a vendor lock-in. In response to the growing social
movement behind ODF, Microsoft revealed last month that it was about
to submit its Open XML format used in Office documents to the ECMA
standards body. This move was seen as tactical by some and cynical by
others . With its new format called Open XML ("open" really means
different things to different people and we do not really know the
details!), Microsoft wants to win an important endorsement of its
format before the release of the next version of office software,
Office 12 (for next year). The company claims that the new format
will also recognize documents created earlier and will work with
newer technology. However, for many it does not meet the explicit
policy of the Massachusetts initiative and Microsoft is delaying in
bad faith.

For many IT industries, let=92s say =93other than Microsoft=94, the
possible merger of the 2 standards ECMA and ODF could take years=85 and
time is only on one side here. They see OASIS as the =93natural
governing body=94 for XML and open standards models. ODF is an existing
standard so why the delay? Who benefits from the delay and the lack
of public awareness? Well, we know who.

Recently, academics also started to weigh in. The Berckman Center for
Internet and Society, Harvard Law School has issued a white paper
"Roadmap for Open ICT Systems" that highlights how open systems
affect more than the business world[ii]. It also showcases 13
countries experiments in using more open systems. Thailand for
example is looking at making open file format a priority that would
improve efficiency, continuity and transparency .

And two days ago five national library associations wrote a letter to
the Secretary of the commonwealth of Massachusetts expressing their
concerns about preserving documents in soon to be obsolete formats
and their support for the Commonwealth=92s adoption of ODF. Like many
public interest groups looking at ODF, the libraries would like to
see the Commonwealth=92s actions as a model for other states or
countries to ensure that citizens have the ability to access
government information.

The battle of the vendors is not over and it=92s time consumers weigh in.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument

http://www.oasis-open.org/home/index.php

Microsoft: We were railroaded in Massachusetts on ODF By David
Berlind, Special to ZDNet http://news.zdnet.com/
2100-3513_22-5893208.html

=93 ECMA move is standard fare from Microsoft Leader ZDNet UK November
22, 2005
"In taking the Office 12 file format to ECMA so it can be called a
standard, Microsoft will be hoping to derail the OpenDocument
bandwagon; it's just standard manoeuvring that we have seen before"
http://comment.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020505,39237440,00.htm

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/epolicy/about

See OPEN DOCUMENT FORMAT: A MATTER OF SOVEREIGNTY
Govt adoption of open standards would improve efficiency, continuity
and transparency http://www.bangkokpost.net/Database/
07Dec2005_data01.php



************************************************
Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology
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