ODF: It's time consumers weigh in

Working on ODF

According to Wikipedia , the OpenDocument format (ODF), short for the “OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications”, 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’ 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 “ODF” might be “new” 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 “an easy sell”, a “no brainer”, but the discussions are on- going and 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’s 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’ 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 “driving on two sides of the road”?

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’s say “other than Microsoft”, the possible merger of the 2 standards ECMA and ODF could take years… and time is only on one side here. They see OASIS as the “natural governing body” 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’s adoption of ODF. Like many public interest groups looking at ODF, the libraries would like to see the Commonwealth’s 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’s 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

“ 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