Microsoft to open Office document format

Microsoft said it will offer the Office Open XML format for standardization via the International Standards Organization. Basically that's declaring war on the already existing OpenDocument format, which supporters have been futilely calling on Microsoft to embrace. Some large organizations (most notably the Massachusetts government) are making policies to not purchase any software with non-open formats, so Microsoft is in a Catch-22 situation.

For more on the formats controversy:
- see this IDG News article

ALSO: Writely warms to OpenDocument. Article