Will GNOME split give Microsoft Open XML standards win?
By Dana Blankenhorn
October 31st, 2007 6:43AM

Microsoft's efforts to overturn a vote earlier this year denying its Open XML "fast track" standards certification seem to be getting a boost from the GNOME Foundation.

GNOME Foundation founder Miguel deIcaza is a Novell employee, and his actions have been closely scrutinized since Microsoft signed its controversial "patent licensing" deal with the company a year ago.

OpenXML, also called OOXML, was denied "fast track" International Standards Organization (ISO) approval in September, but a final vote on making it a standard will take place in February, and Microsoft is anxious to get the earlier decision reversed.

To that end Microsoft is working with the ECMA TC 45 group to answer detailed questions which accompanied the negative ballots in September, in hopes of changing hearts and minds by February. GNOME's participation in that group is upsetting Open Document Format (ODF) advocates.

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