OpenXML/ODF Translator beta adds PowerPoint and Excel
Monday's press release about expanding customers interoperability options had two elements:-
- a new open source project to enable translation between the emerging Chinese UOF standard.
- an new beta of the existing open source translator that adds PowerPoint and Excel translation to enable further interoperability with ODF
I notice with interest that the UOF aspect recieves almost universal coverage, whereas the ODF element is hardly picked up at all.
News.com - Microsoft to support Chinese document standard
IDG - Microsoft Working With Chinese on XML Converter
eWEEK - Microsoft to Support Emerging Chinese Document Format
internetnews.com - Microsoft, China Translate Files in Open Source
Wired - Microsoft Expands Office Document Format Support
BetaNews - Microsoft Claims It's Format-Agnostic in Appeal to Chinese Office Users
Computerworld - Microsoft backs Chinese XML document format
IT Business Edge - Document Format Interoperability Means We Can All Get Along
Slashdot - Microsoft Announces OOXML-UOF Project with China
ConsortiumInfo.org - Microsoft Announces UOF-OOXML Translator Project with China
I know that ODF has been primarily positioned as a word processing format by IBM and Sun, perhaps this is the reason? Answers on a postcard?