Open Standards Initiative Fails in Massachusetts

walterbyrd writes "Massachusetts has decided to use Microsoft's Open-XML standard. This decison: 'stands in sharp contrast to the positions taken by predecessor CIOs Peter Quinn and Louis Gutierrez, backed by then governor (and now-presidential hopeful) Mitt Romney. Both Quinn and Gutierrez insisted on including only "open standards" in the ETRM, and withstood significant pressure from Microsoft to give ground and accept OOXML...'"

Not really

[l33t.g33k]

Well, it's not really a massive failure, nor is it a massive success. The article says that Massachusetts has now approved both MS Open XML and OASIS OpenDocument (ODF). Hence, ODF is not dead in Massachusetts. But the issue is that they initially were resisting Open XML (in Aug. 2005), but have now caved in.

Re:Well, it took time...

[Lumpy]

MSFT never used FUD alone in these, they always used some type of bribe. Bribes like reduced cost for a site license and other tactics that convince the key people that they need to re evaluate their position.

I have seen it locally, Microsoft "donated" a site license to their entire suite of software including the Visual studio products to my daughters school to squash the linux+Open Office conversion. They eliminated the cost savings that the board was able to understand the most. and that was it. Project killed completely, not even a handful of linux boxes were allowed in the lab per an agreement.

Re:Report from Switzerland (Meeting of SNV/UK14)

[Benanov]

Don't tell us. Tell NoOOXML.org.

I think this sort of thing needs to be brought into the bright spotlight and the corruption exposed.