[governance] news: India will vote against Microsoft’s OXML

[Suresh Ramasubramanian]

On Sun, 23 Mar 2008, Sylvia Caras wrote:

> http://tinyurl.com/32ec3d
> or
> http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/Software/India_to_vote_against_Microsofts_OXML_against_wishes_of_IT_cos/articleshow/2885776.cms

Not very correct. Four or five large Indian IT companies voted for OOXML.

Other IT companies and civil society groups voted no.

Speaking of civil society, it becomes more interesting when you read this 
article -

http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=BO&autono=316006

Microsoft `cajoles` NGOs to support OOXML
Leslie D'Monte / Mumbai March 7, 2008
The controversy over acceptance of Microsoft.s format Office Open XML 
(OOXML) as a standard by the International Organisation for 
Standardisation (ISO) refuses to die.

CORRUPT FILE

# The Open Document Format (ODF) proponents are alleging that the software 
giant has .cajoled. Indian NGOs to write to the IT ministry and BIS, 
supporting OOXML as a standard
# They are peeved over the fact that of the 30-odd NGOs, some are funded 
by the software giant
# Till date, India.s stand has been .No. (with comments) to OOXML
# A Microsoft spokesperson, when contacted, admitted that letters were 
indeed sent to the NGOs, but insisted that .one should not read between 
the lines.
The Open Document Format (ODF) proponents . who are opposing OOXML on the 
grounds that .multiple standards. are not advisable . are alleging that 
the software giant has .cajoled. Indian non-governmental organisations 
(NGOs) to write to the IT ministry and the Bureau of Indian Standards 
(BIS), supporting OOXML as a standard. They are peeved over the fact that 
of the 30-odd NGOs, some are funded by the software giant.

The letter (template provided by Microsoft), among other things, reads: 
....Please write a paragraph about your organisation...Please paraphrase 
.We support OXML (sic) as a standard that encourages multiplicity of 
choice and interoperability giving us the ultimate consumer the choice... 
Please paraphrase .*** also supports OXML as this does not have any 
financial implications, thus releasing our resources for welfare and 
development of society..

Till date, India.s stand has been .No. (with comments) to OOXML. Not 
getting the ISO approval could mean a loss of government business for 
Microsoft since governments worldwide, including India, prefer standards 
that are ratified from bodies such as the ISO.

Governments are wary of holding digital data in proprietary formats, which 
could make them hostage to a software vendor. Many store files locally 
using ODF, which is open and free. States such as Delhi, Kerala and others 
from the North-East are heavy adopters of ODF. Microsoft is trying to 
address these issues to get the .No. revised to a .Yes..

A Microsoft spokesperson, when contacted, admitted that letters were 
indeed sent to the NGOs, but insisted that .one should not read between 
the lines..

.NGOs represent an important section of the society. It is for this reason 
that their views were sought to be represented on the committee formed by 
BIS on the issue of Open XML. The number of NGOs who have expressed their 
voluntary support on Open XML far exceeds the programme partners we have 
for Project Jyoti, which is in its fourth year and has since partnered 
with 13 NGOs with cash and software grants amounting to only Rs 37.5 
crore. The decision to send a letter of support was made by each 
individual organisation based on its own merit. Likewise, many of our 
partners also chose not to voice their opinion,. the spokesperson said.

ODF proponents have a different point of view on the subject. .Microsoft.s 
underhanded means of advocacy of OOXML only reinforces the conviction that 
it views OOXML as a tool for furthering monopolistic goals, and plans to 
recover their investments multi-fold wherever they succeed in getting it 
accepted as a standard,. says Raj Mathur, one of the founders and 
currently a member of the Linux Users Group, Delhi.

.Standards govern our day-to-day lives and are therefore not mere 
technical issues. In the IT world, standards are also being hijacked by 
powerful monopolies because control of standards leads to huge financial 
gains. At a national level, we must ask ourselves, if this is the way we 
want to create standards,. says Venkatesh Hariharan, co-founder, Open 
Source Foundation of India.

Microsoft, on its part, notes that OOXML, a recognised standard by ECMA 
International already and currently being considered in the ISO voting 
process is a response to evolving technology formats in line with 
continual evolving technology systems.


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