Do you remember the Blog entry from Geir Isene? A Norwegian view on the Office Open XML standardization process in ISO. Let us not forget that the Office Open XML standardization process before ISO has a single objective, i.e. to derail the adoption of the existing standard ISO 26300:2006 aka OpenDocument by the public sector.
The next milestone of the Project World Domino is reached. Norway adopts Open Document Format.
…the Norwegian government has mandated the use of open document formats from January 1st, 2009. I’ll give a brief overview of what the article actually says.
There are three formats that have been mandated for all documentation between authorities and users/partners, namely:
* HTML for all public information on the Web.
* PDF for all documents where layout needs to be preserved.
* ODF for all documents that the recipient is supposed to be able to edit
The blog also quotes Information Technology minister Heidi Grande Røys
Everyone should have equal access to public documents. From 2009, every citizen will be able to choose which software they want to use to get access to public information. The goverment’s decision will also improve the terms of competition between software providers. In the future, we will not accept that govermental agencies lock the users of public information to closed formats.
Now, this is not real news. Compare what Andrew Updegrove wrote in May. He has the full text of the proposal. In the press release:
Microsoft, as a major market actor, promotes OOXML, which is a better format for preserving semantics and special formats from Microsoft's proprietary binary formats.
Standards Norway is aware of the work of making OOXML an ISO/IEC standard, and proposes that this process be followed closely. Norway should work in an international standards body to contribute to ODF and OOXML converging into a common standard, so that we avoid having two standards that basically cover the same area of use."
So at least in May Norway officially endorsed the French Convergence Proposal. And how does Norway interpret the professional term "Open Standard"?
An open standard is characterized by it being reputable and by its maintenance by a noncommercial organization, and by the ongoing development work being based on decision-making processes that are open to all interested parties. The standard is published and the documentation is available, either free of cost or for a negligible fee. It must be possible for everyone to copy, distribute and use the standard free of cost or for a negligible fee. The intellectual rights linked to the standard (e.g. patents) are irrevocably available, without any royalties attached. There are no reservations regarding reuse of the standard.
The Norwegian definition is almost the same as the EIF IDABC definition. Norway is no member of the European Union. But Norway will be represented as a p-member at the Ballot Resolution Meeting and voted NO in the September ballot.