Controversy Mars Swedish OOXML Vote
Controversy Mars Swedish OOXML Vote
August 31, 2007: In the lead up to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) vote to induct the Office Open XML document format as an international standard, Microsoft has been accused of vote-buying at the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS).
According to voting members of SIS, during the two weeks leading up to the Institute’s vote on the adoption of OOXML as a standard the number of voting members suddenly grew from 9 to 34. Of the 23 new companies that joined, all are Microsoft certified partners, and all voted to adopt OOXML, far outweighing the original member votes of 6 against and 3 abstaining.
Several members reportedly walked out in protest, including FFII’s Jonas Bosson and IBM representative Johan Westman, as the OOXML adoption vote was long expected to attract a resolute “no”. With so many firms that had previously not been interested in SIS membership joining last minute, Microsoft has been accused of manipulation to force through its standard.
Further to this, the company has also drawn accusations that it paid off its partners to get them to join and influence the vote. According to the Swedish newspaper Computer Sweden, an email sent from Microsoft to its partners stated “Vote Yes to OOXML and we'll make sure that you get extra marketing money for you campaigns”
While Microsoft partners were expected to pay for the SIS Membership costs of 17.000 SEK ($3,000 AUD) themselves, the email reportedly claims that the firm will pass on a “marketing contribution” and “extra support in the form av Microsoft resources” to those that attend the vote and follow up meetings to the vote in a show of good faith.
According to OS2world.com Microsoft Sweden’s Business Manager Klas Hammar claims the email was only sent out to a few gold partners and that the wording and fact it was sent out at all was regrettable.
Microsoft has also been accused of using similar tactics to sway votes in Denmark, and Norway, and with nine countries (Cyprus, Ecuador, Jamaica, Lebanon, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uruguay, and Venezuela) recently requesting and receiving “privileged” membership status in the ISO some commentators fear that Microsoft could be attempting to replicate its efforts in Sweden to ensure OOXML ISO certification.
In another twist to the story, however, Sweden will no longer be participating in the worldwide ISO vote for OOXML adoption as one member of the SIS broke the rules by voting twice in its OOXML vote.
The SIS will now arrange a new vote to be held before September 2, 2007 but after the international OOXML vote.
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