Microsoft's OOXML standardized

Though the official word has yet to cross the wires, ZDnet is reporting that Microsoft's OOXML (Open Office XML) document format has been granted ISO approval. Allegedly, the format recieved 75 percent of the vote at the ISO's recent meeting. “While the final vote has not yet been announced formally, publicly available information shows overwhelming support for Open XML," Microsoft wrote in a press release. "According to documents available on the Internet, 86 percent of all national body members support ISO/IEC standardization, well above the 75 percent requirement for formal acceptance under ISO and IEC rules. In addition, 75 percent of the Participating national body members [known as P-members] support standardization, also well above the required 66.67 percent requirement for this group." The standardization of OOXML is a huge win for Microsoft, as it will encourage other developers to build OOXML support into their applications. 

For more on the announcement:
- see this ZDnet article