IBM's Director of Strategy comes clean on OpenXML - IBM *WILL* support OpenXML in its Lotus and Portal products
Well well well, a few days ago I wondered out loud whether IBM was planning to make an announement about OpenXML support in Lotus products at its Lotusphere event.
It seems IBM have indeed done just that! Martin LaMonica has a story over on News.com that carries the news: "IBM to take Lotus Symphony apps 'Beyond Office'"
This made me laugh out loud ...
Rather than compete head-to-head with Microsoft Office, IBM's strategy is to make documents act like "containers" for information within workflow and collaboration applications, according to IBM executives.
Exactly what do they think customers have been doing with Office for the last decade 
I've blogged before that these guys are stuck in the past but come on. Anyway, Symphony isn't about the Office space, it's now a platform play!
"We don't have any intention of trying to monetize the Office space," said Doug Heintzman, director of strategy for IBM collaboration technologies. "Symphony is a platform play."
Well, if that's IBM's plan they're going to need more than ODF, that's for sure - and that brings us to the announcement I've been wondering about:
IBM favors ODF as a file format because it is "truly open" and technically elegant, Heintzman said.
But IBM will support Open XML, which is the current document format in Office 2007, in its Lotus collaboration and portal products. IBM already supports older versions of Office.
I feel a Pamela Jones moment coming on .... there it is, as plain as day for the world to see, Doug Heintzman breaks through all IBM's doublespeak and hypocrisy and admits it.
I don't know about "Beyond Office" as a plan, I think the real game here is "Beyond ODF"