03.19.08
Another Large Migration to OpenDocument Format (ODF), Germany Elevates ODF
FOSS will win by the standards, to be followed by installed base
If there are clear signs that lock-ins are being broken, then this latest report from Malaysia is one of them.
The Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) has announced that the agency will be migrating to OpenOffice.org office suite as well as adopt the OpenDocument Format (ODF). In addition, Microsoft Office is to be phased out by end of 2008.
There are many stories about migrations to GNU/Linux and FOSS in Malaysia. To give examples of stories from the past few months (several URLs have expired for unknown reasons):
- Embun: A Malaysian Ubuntu - Open Source operating system for all Malaysians!
- Open source lab cuts technology start-ups’ costs
- Open source gathers steam in Malaysia
- Malaysia formally embraces open doc format
- New lab for open-source developers
- Malaysia Lab to Build Enterprise Products Using Novell, Red Hat
- Outlook: Putting Malaysia on open source map
- Maylasia Open Source Software Alliance Releases Position Statement
- OS Backers Prod Malaysian Government to Level Playing Field
- ADempiere Project’s Red1: Malaysia Primed for Open Source
The icing on the cake is this new translation from Erwin:
Germany upgrades ODF to ‘recommended
The new version 4.0 of the document “Standards and Architectures for eGovernment Applications” (SAGA) by the German Ministry of the Interior now recommends ODF for text documents.
There have been several migration stories from Germany in the past few months, including major ones to GNU/Linux or migrations only to OpenOffice.org.
Microsoft will meanwhile try to sell the illusion that ODF is used almost nowhere, but it’s a lie. It’s self promotion and it’s akin to propaganda.
OpenOffice.org 3.0 is on its way and it’s looking very good.
OpenOffice.org 3.0 is 167 days away, but who’s counting? Maybe the software developers are counting because they have a whopping 2,278 issues targeted for this release. Even though OpenOffice.org 2.4 is not yet out the door, let’s see how far they’ve come with OpenOffice.org 3.0.
Be sure to see this nice demo as well. And of course, many other products support ODF. It’s a standard, not a product, unlike Microsoft Office and its OOXML, which it will never implement properly. █
Highlight: Novell was the first to acknowledge that Microsoft FUD tactics had substance. Novell then used anti-Linux FUD to market itself. 
Highlight: Xandros let Microsoft make patent claims and brag about (paid-for) OOXML support. 
Highlight: Linspire's CEO not only fell into Microsoft arms, but he also assisted the company's attack on GNU/Linux. 
Highlight: Microsoft craves pseudo (proprietary) standards and gets its way using proxies and influence which it buys. 
Highlight: The invasion into the open source world is intended to leave Linux companies neglected, due to financial incentives from Microsoft. 
Analysis: Xen, an open source hypervisor, possibly fell victim to Microsoft's aggressive (and stealthy) acquisition-by-proxy strategy.