In a German press release the eGovernment laboratorium of Frauenhofer Fokus conveys its satisfaction with the German DIN vote of August 21, a YES vote with "a few comments".
According to the PR Mr. Gerd Schuermann who is also chair of the DIN workgroup on document formats conversion offers to support the further standardisation process and to aid its "laboratorium partner" Microsoft with the comments at ECMA International.
What is the role of Microsoft and ECMA now?
An FFII expert explains:
Microsoft and ECMA cannot change ISO DIS 29500 now. Indeed they shouldn't have changed it between ISO CP 29500 and ISO DIS 29500, but they did (adding new literature and changing the numbering of all the pages to complicate locating the contradictions of the CP step). Next step is BRM and there JTC1/SC34 could ask to ECMA for proposed changes that solve the problems collected in DIS. But ECMA and Microsoft are not members of BRM (only national bodies). Any promise of ECMA and Microsoft now goes to /dev/null regarding ISO 29500. Nobody can change DIS 29500, that is what was being discussed. Microsoft and its partners can make whatever they like inhouse. That won't change DIS 29500 (a property of ISO/IEC).
An Industry expert explains:
The text of DIS 29500 is owned by JTC1 now. Neither Ecma nor Microsoft can change a word of it without JTC1's approval. … The process for changing the text is the Ballot Resolution Meeting in February. NB's, in many cases, have already provided resolutions for their comments by stating what they wanted changed and how. For example, if a NB submitted a comment that said, "Remove VML" then this is a proposed change to the DIS. … Ecma will also be able to submit their own comments and their own resolutions to these comments. They can also propose resolutions to NB comments. And NB's can propose resolutions to other NB's comments. These are all just proposals, and we'll have many of them. … When Microsoft promises that they will resolve all technical issues, they are promising something they cannot deliver. First, Microsoft as a corporation is not party to the BRM. Only NB's can vote there. Certainly, Microsoft can propose resolutions via Ecma, but the BRM is under no obligation to accept or even consider this proposal.
