Microsoft and other companies could keep doing business with the state government by adding OpenDocument as a standard file format. These products would also have to be replaced, or upgraded to versions that work with the OpenDocument standard. The state uses other programs, such as IBM's Lotus Notes and the word processing program WordPerfect, that employ proprietary file formats. The policy change wouldn't affect only Microsoft. ''The state is really leading the charge here." ''The way they've gone about this is brilliant, " said Sam Hiser, an open source software consultant who took part in the deliberations leading up to the report. Such a move would boost the credibility of open file formats and encourage fresh competition against Microsoft Office, which holds over 90 percent of the world market in office productivity software. If Massachusetts follows through, it will be the first US state to require that all documents be created in an open format. ''Agencies will need to develop phased migration plans with a target implementation date of January 1, 2007." ''The magnitude of the migration effort to this new open standard is considerable," the report says. Microsoft Office file formats are the property of Microsoft and cannot be incorporated into software from other firms. But any company can adopt the standard, which is available free of charge. The OpenDocument standard is used in OpenOffice, a free software program available over the Internet, and in StarOffice, which is sold by Sun Microsystems Inc. The report recommends that the state embrace a new document standard called the OpenDocument format, which was issued in May by a consortium that includes Microsoft, IBM Corp., Dell Inc., aircraft maker Boeing Co., and the US Department of Defense. If the state buys new software, it might not be able to understand files generated by older programs.
In addition, a particular format may be abandoned by a software company at some point. These proprietary formats are incompatible with one another, making it difficult to share information between agencies. The state currently stores documents in electronic formats that were created by a variety of companies, including Microsoft. The document isn't the last word on the matter the state is seeking public reaction before the plan is finalized. The plan is embodied in a draft report issued Wednesday by the state's Information Technology Division. Massachusetts state government may stop using Microsoft Corp.'s popular Office software by 2007, unless the giant software company adopts a file format compatible with other software brands.
0 kommentar(er)
