Microsoft expands document interoperability

Bangalore, July 7 (UNI) Expanding on its customer-focused commitment to interoperability, Microsoft Corp today announced the creation of the Open XML Translator project to create tools to build a technical bridge between the Office Open XML Formats and the Open Document Format (ODF).

The Project had been initiated in response to Government requests for interoperability with ODF as they work with some constituent groups who make use of that format, Microsoft India said in a release here.

In addition to making these translation tools available for free, downloadable add-ins would support several older versions of MS Office system. The tools would be developed and licensed as open source software. The translation tools would be broadly available to the industry for use with other individual or commercial projects to accelerate document interoperability and expand customer choice between Open XML and other technologies, the release said.

''By enabling this translator, we will make both choice and interoperability a more practical option for our customers. We believe that Open XML meets the needs of millions of organisations for a new approach to file formats, so we are sharing it with the industry by submitting it, with others, to become a worldwide standard,'' Microsoft Interoperability and XML Architecture General Manager Jean Paoli said.

''Interoperability is a key priority of the Government in the e-governance paradigm. Our ability to meet the needs of citizens will be greatly increased by the interoperability and integration of open, XML-based standards,'' National Informatics Centre Deputy Director General M Moni, who is spearheading the process of e-governance standards in India, said.

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