The OpenDocument Format Alliance (ODF Alliance), the leading organization advocating for openness and accessibility to government documents and information, today congratulated Japan for adopting a policy under which government ministries and agencies will solicit bids from software vendors whose products support internationally recognized open standards.
Previously, government agencies could ask bidders to submit bids based on whether their products offered functions comparable to particular software suites. With the new interoperability framework, which takes effect immediately, the government will give preference to procuring products that adhere to open standards, and which interoperate easily with other software.
The new guidelines, available from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, were designed to be implemented by government ministries and agencies. The interoperability framework also suggests that the guidelines would also be useful for private industry.
govtech.com
7.13.2007
Anti-Microsoft Office campaign gathers pace
3:06PM, Friday 13th July 2007
More than 20,000 people have put their names to a web petition
opposing Microsoft's attempts to have its new Office file format
accepted as an international standard.
The NoOOXML.org petition calls on members of the ISO (International
Organization for Standardization) to vote against accepting Open XML,
which it says Microsoft is trying to fast-track through the approval
process
"People are outraged by what's going on," said petition author
Benjamin Henrion. "Not since the software patents fight have we seen
such a reaction from the online community. And it's gone global. Users
are happy with the existing international standard for documents, and
can't see why Microsoft is forcing its own standard except in pure
self-interest."
Henrion says that Microsoft's specification is closed, protected by
patents and secrets. The petition lists eight objections. Others have
pointed to serious bugs, such as the format's inability to handle
dates before 1900.
PCpro.co.uk
More than 20,000 people have put their names to a web petition
opposing Microsoft's attempts to have its new Office file format
accepted as an international standard.
The NoOOXML.org petition calls on members of the ISO (International
Organization for Standardization) to vote against accepting Open XML,
which it says Microsoft is trying to fast-track through the approval
process
"People are outraged by what's going on," said petition author
Benjamin Henrion. "Not since the software patents fight have we seen
such a reaction from the online community. And it's gone global. Users
are happy with the existing international standard for documents, and
can't see why Microsoft is forcing its own standard except in pure
self-interest."
Henrion says that Microsoft's specification is closed, protected by
patents and secrets. The petition lists eight objections. Others have
pointed to serious bugs, such as the format's inability to handle
dates before 1900.
PCpro.co.uk
7.02.2007
Computers for good cause
June In Bratislava,
Dell corporation along with NGO Pontis created a project of giving away used DELL computers from DELL call centre in Bratislava. Around 77 non-governmental organizations received 280 computers with Ubuntu cds, Slovak manual and online support from Slovak Open Source Initiative(SKOSI.org). Most receivers are working with handicapped people like Slovak Union of sightless and Sight-Impaired or with children and schools. Around 30 - 40 % of the NGOs welcomed free and open source software on their computers. Around 10% asked for K Desktop Environment (KDE), which means they know it before.
For the open call in April, we had 711 applicant for 3680 computers, which clearly shows a great possibility to do similar projects in the future.
Dell corporation along with NGO Pontis created a project of giving away used DELL computers from DELL call centre in Bratislava. Around 77 non-governmental organizations received 280 computers with Ubuntu cds, Slovak manual and online support from Slovak Open Source Initiative(SKOSI.org). Most receivers are working with handicapped people like Slovak Union of sightless and Sight-Impaired or with children and schools. Around 30 - 40 % of the NGOs welcomed free and open source software on their computers. Around 10% asked for K Desktop Environment (KDE), which means they know it before.
For the open call in April, we had 711 applicant for 3680 computers, which clearly shows a great possibility to do similar projects in the future.
6.14.2007
OpenXML, comments
I was studying both the 6.000 pages Open XML ISO specification and comments to the fast track procedures by several parties around world. It's clearly impossible to implement such standard as it is by a competitive vendor to Microsoft. Microsoft made a good effort to lock-up his standard and made it unavailable for implementation for anyone else.
The OOXML specification is protected by multiple patents, where as the patent holder Microsoft corporation does not guarantee not to sue or confer any other rights for competitors. The basic implementation of such standard by the competition can face patent infringement cases around the world. This means a real threat for competitive applications even before the development begins.
From the beginning, office suite applications by Microsoft were benefiting from their proprietary standards, where other parties were unable to implement such standard and make their products compatible. Microsoft decided to ignore the existing open standards, and as we have seen in the past, they are trying to bring upon a new “open” proprietary standard that can be fully integrated only by Microsoft itself. There have been Open Standards for document exchange out there for a longer time, Microsoft had pledged only one step for its implementation, but in the end it turns out to be a third party plug-in which was made by another developer (Sun Microsystems).
To date, the standard has not been implemented by its vendor or the competition. It is clear that the Microsoft product will switch to their “open” standard in a certain time; does this mean competition in the field of standards?
The OOXML specification is protected by multiple patents, where as the patent holder Microsoft corporation does not guarantee not to sue or confer any other rights for competitors. The basic implementation of such standard by the competition can face patent infringement cases around the world. This means a real threat for competitive applications even before the development begins.
From the beginning, office suite applications by Microsoft were benefiting from their proprietary standards, where other parties were unable to implement such standard and make their products compatible. Microsoft decided to ignore the existing open standards, and as we have seen in the past, they are trying to bring upon a new “open” proprietary standard that can be fully integrated only by Microsoft itself. There have been Open Standards for document exchange out there for a longer time, Microsoft had pledged only one step for its implementation, but in the end it turns out to be a third party plug-in which was made by another developer (Sun Microsystems).
To date, the standard has not been implemented by its vendor or the competition. It is clear that the Microsoft product will switch to their “open” standard in a certain time; does this mean competition in the field of standards?
Will be Mao Tse Tung replaced by Bill Gates?
According to Greg Mundy speech at Microsoft Innovation day for SMEs in Brussels last week, young people in China need human Icons for leader ship. Greg Mundy describe how similar Icons from United States software industry are well accepted in India and China, countries which are going the Open Source way. Obviously Microsoft is spending lot of money and lobbyist around there to keep up the licensing money come in. It's clear that communistic China won't accept a capitalist leader, no matter if it's proprietary software king or UK Prime Minister, it's literally unreal.
Greg Mundy also describe how the business in EU are going backwards and how we should learn from US and mostly from it's patent industry which protect innovation.
Hopefully, this kind of protection (claiming business, acounting methods and software patents) won't happen in EU.
Greg Mundy also describe how the business in EU are going backwards and how we should learn from US and mostly from it's patent industry which protect innovation.
Hopefully, this kind of protection (claiming business, acounting methods and software patents) won't happen in EU.
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