According to Microsoft’s press release, and a document in unofficial circulation, Microsoft’s Open Office XML, an XML format for Microsoft Office, has been approved as an ISO standard.
It’s been an ugly process. That said, I suspect the spec has been significantly improved by all the attention it has received. The spat has exposed the money and politics behind standardization processes. This seems to be a theme of late: see also Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD, and even the Java Community Process.
I welcome standardization, but dislike the way both sides have put their standards wars ahead of the convenience of users.
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When I saw the date of this blog entry, I had to check it twice just in case ISO had also decided to ratify the flight path of penguins as well.
But I agree, it’s a good thing, if only because the ostensible main objection hitherto to the blindingly obvious choice of XML document format in commercial environments has been that it’s not an ‘official’ standard. This argument is now to all intents and purposes a red herring.