Microsoft to standardize Office formats

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Developers!, Developers!!, Developers!!!

As we know, Microsoft Windows and Office became the world's software in part because the company gave the highest priority to helping developers. And when Microsoft products became the standard, developers were saved the problems of writing for more than one operating system or Office suite.

So why is Microsoft opening up XML as they have? Lo and behold:

As part of its standardization effort, Microsoft will change the license to entice software developers to work with the file formats. "We're taking an approach that's basically a promise from Microsoft not to sue developers," said Yates.

Forget open source and other competition. If Microsoft can improve over the company's older products enough to persuade people to buy, the competition will be left far behind.
Microsoft may have to respond to an attitude in the minds of some developers and potential customers, but being responsive is SOP.


How does Microsoft define and respond to that attitude? By giving developers and potential customers exactly what they're asking for:

Many customers, notably government agencies with long-term record archiving needs, have pressured Microsoft to make its document formats available on favorable terms. With access to these technical specifications, customers are assured that documents can be read by many different products, according to Microsoft.

Of course, Microsoft could designate their formats and schemae secret sauce and they would still be "read by many different products".
(Writing, as opposed to reading, is an interesting issue, and I'm awaiting clarity and finality.)

The request for this concession is silly. Of course many products read Office. The likelihood that all Office-related software will disappear is approximately nil.
But if it makes developers and potential customers happy...


And how are the Microsoft formats and schemae distinguished form the alternatives? Because they work with everything designed to work with them:

Microsoft's Yates said that OpenDocument and Microsoft's Open XML formats both address productivity applications but have some differences. He said his company's formats are designed to be thoroughly compatible with all existing Office formats and to integrate XML-formatted data from other applications.

Yes, the Microsoft network effect is working. All Microsoft products work well with other Microsoft products.
(Well, moving a spreadsheet into Word... But some improvements have to be made in each new version.)
And all products written for Office, and there are a lot, work well with Office.


So is Microsoft surrendering any advantage to its competitors? Why would you think so(?):

Based on Microsoft's previous ECMA standardization efforts, it's not clear that Microsoft will relinquish control of the Office formats to other companies, said Redmonk analyst Stephen O'Grady.

Does anyone think Microsoft will allow competitors to control design of the company's products?
The coompany is fighting Monti's attempt to control the design of Windows.
The company is fighting the decision by a couple of MA officials to give control of their formats to competitors.

Microsoft will do anything to make developers happy. Except give away the IP that makes Microsoft profitable.

Software is all about profit, and the employment and good salaries that follow therefrom.

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 11/22/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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