Microsoft Document Interoperability Initiative Launched

March 7, 2008: The world’s largest software company has fired the starters’ gun for its new Document Interoperability Initiative, aimed at expanding user choice among document formats.

The project focuses on bringing vendors together to improve interoperability between document formats. This process will involve the creation of templates for testing, refining and implementing as experimental suites that work as a conduit between the different formats.

“Microsoft believes that the industry has a responsibility to come together to address the interests of users in achieving greater interoperability and effective data exchange between widely deployed document format implementations,” said Jean Paoli, general manager for Interoperability and XML Architecture at Microsoft.

The initiative is being kicked off with a series of research events around the globe, starting with Cambridge which is bringing vendors together to test the formats. The Cambridge team will be testing interoperability between Microsoft Office Open XL, Open Document Format and test platforms on Mac OS X Leopard, Palm OS, Symbian OS, Linux, Windows Mobile and the iPhone.

“The labs are designed to bring technical staff together to roll up their sleeves and test interoperability between implementations of formats and address issues that are identified either in those implementations or in the translation technologies used to work across formats," said Paoli.

The initiative events will also form as a focus point for discussion between the vendors on how best to develop conformance testing suites for popular formats and how to streamline the interoperability process.

“Microsoft recognizes that users want to choose the document format that best suits their needs and that vendors have a responsibility to work together to achieve interoperability between different format implementations,” said Tom Robertson, general manager, Interoperability and Standards at Microsoft.

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