Microsoft’s Steps to Foster Interoperability among File Formats

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Company encourages greater transparency in the pursuit of interoperability by publishing ODF and Open XML implementation notes

Microsoft published documentation detailing its implementation of OASIS Open Document Format (ODF) version 1.1 support in Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2, currently in beta and scheduled for release next year. Similarly, detailed notes about the company’s implementation of Open XML in Office will follow in the coming weeks.
These implementation notes offer a comprehensive guide on how Microsoft is implementing ODF and Open XML within its flagship Microsoft Office suite. The notes, available at no charge on the Document Interoperability Initiative (DII) site will be useful to developers seeking to enhance the interoperability of their solutions with Microsoft products.
“This is an extremely valuable contribution to the pursuit of grounded, practical interoperability among applications,” said Dennis Hamilton, document-system interoperability architect. “This step raises the bar for transparent disclosure of how standard formats are supported at a detailed level.”
“By publis

hing notes on how we are implementing file format standards in Microsoft Office, we are providing detail that others can use as a reference point for their own applications,” said Doug Mahugh, senior project manager for Office interoperability. “We encourage other companies to take similar steps to help achieve greater interoperability across the industry.”