Microsoft's Sponsored OOXML Study


      Today, Microsoft made available an IDC study about so-called open desktop file formats. It's yet another Microsoft propaganda effort, as a crucial format standards vote approaches.
      Next week's ISO (International Organization for Standardization) vote could fast-track or stall Microsoft efforts to get OOXML (Office Open XML) format standards ratification. Microsoft has pushed hard to get the votes, which must be placed by the September 2 deadline. I see the new IDC report, which Microsoft commissioned, as yet another attempt by Microsoft to influence the outcome, particularly because of the findings' emphasis on Europe.

      OOXML standards ratification is crucial to Microsoft, because:

      
            The file format is linchpin to the company's broader Office, Dynamics and business intelligence strategies. OOXML isn't just a format; it's the glue that will bind together products and product strategies and lock businesses into Microsoft's desktop-to-server stack.

            The ratification process has generated call for a single, open document standard. ODF (Open Document Format) already has ISO approval. Microsoft doesn't want to be cut out of the process or see its format sidelined. The company's informational campaign for OOXML and against ODF dramatically increased after talk started about a single open document standard.
      
      Today's IDC white paper is another salvo in Microsoft's informational campaign. Is the study less valid because it was commissioned? Yes. Reputable analyst firms like IDC typically release two kinds of reports: Editorial and commissioned. Editorial content is what the organization plans, and reputable analyst firms let their own research drive the results; companies like Microsoft have little-to-no say in the results.
      Commissioned reports typically come in two forms: Those produced for a company's internal use and others done for external distribution. When I was an analyst, I worked on some studies used for clients' internal use, typically to help improve business or product strategies. I never produced any external, comissioned reports, and my old employer, JupiterResearch, took a dim view of white papers. For good reasons. Continue At Source



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