May 4, 2006

ECIS applauds ISO for approving the OpenDocument Format as an international standard

ECIS, a member of the ODF Alliance, is pleased to hear that the International Standards Organisation (ISO) has approved the OpenDocumentFormat (ODF) as an international standard.  

ODF is an open XML-based document file format for saving and exchanging editable office documents (including memos, reports, and books), spreadsheets, charts, and presentations, and is utilised in an increasing number of applications on the market today.  Because it is a completely open format, storing information in the ODF format ensures that it is accessible across platforms and applications, and removes the risk of a user being locked into a single vendor's products.

ISO's approval of ODF as a standard is a promising step potentially leading, amongst other things, to the development of interoperable personal productivity productivity applications, such as word-processors and spreadsheet applications.  When all applications utilise the open standard as the file format of their choice, users can easily exchange data between each other regardless of whether they are using the same application or not.

For more information on ODF, see the ODF Alliance website.

About ECIS

ECIS is an international non-profit association founded in 1989 that strives to promote market conditions in the ICT sector allowing vigorous competition on the merits and a diversity of consumer choice. ECIS has actively represented its members on many issues related to interoperability and competition before European, national and international bodies, including the EU institutions and WIPO, and is an official Intervener in the legal proceedings arising from the Commission’s March 2004 Microsoft Decision.

ECIS’ members include large and smaller information and communications technology hardware and software providers Adobe, Corel, IBM, Linspire, Nokia, Opera, Oracle, RealNetworks, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems.