EU to investigate Microsoft file format support

A new plan by Microsoft to allow its Office software to save and edit files in a rival format will face a probe by the European Commission.

The Commission said late Wednesday that it will investigate whether Microsoft's decision to add support for the Open Document Format to Office will result in greater consumer choice.

Microsoft's move, also announced Wednesday, is seen as a concession to regulators concerned about competition and to customers, mainly governments, worried about product lock-in.

"The Commission will investigate whether the announced support of Open Document Format in Office leads to better interoperability and allows consumers to process and exchange their documents with the software product of their choice," the commission said in a statement reported by Dow Jones.

A Microsoft product manager told CNET News.com on Wednesday that the company plans to discuss its move with the Commission. "We have ongoing dialogue with the EC, so we will absolutely have a discussion with them about these steps and get whatever feedback they may have on it," said Tom Robertson, general manager of Interoperability and Standards at Microsoft.

Starting sometime in the first half of next year, Office 2007 will support ODF as a native file format alongside Microsoft's own Office Open XML. Customers will be able to choose one or the other as the default format.

For roughly two years, Microsoft has made available translators that let Office work with ODF documents. The company plans to continue to do that for older versions of Office. Support for ODF, along with the Portable Document Format and the XML Paper Specification, will be built into the next version of Office, code named Office 14.

[suyts]

Ohhh ohh, looks like the EU is short on funds again. Time to go on another American tech company raid.

[suyts]

Oops, looks like the EU is low on funds again. Time to go on another American tech company raid.

[jsa55]

Microsoft is in a classic case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Microsoft finally gives in and adds support for competing, non-Microsoft formats: Microsoft is hurting consumer choices. Microsoft sticks to its guns and does not add support for competing, non-Microsoft formats: Microsoft is hurting consumer choices. The Europeans eat too many sour grapes.

[Commander_Spock]

Subject: "It Is Not Going To Be Over Until The Fat Lady Sings; or, "The CONCORDE" Flies Commercially - Again! That, "A Microsoft product manager told CNET News.com on Wednesday that the company plans to discuss its move with the Commission. "We have ongoing dialogue with the EC, so we will absolutely have a discussion with them about these steps and get whatever feedback they may have on it," said Tom Robertson, general manager of Interoperability and Standards at Microsoft. Starting sometime in the first half of next year, Office 2007 will support ODF as a native file format alongside Microsoft's own Office Open XML. Customers will be able to choose one or the other as the default format..." So, what is it going to be for the "crunching of the numbers" to determine how economically it will be from a "standards perspective" to fly AIRBUS, "The CONCORDE", The DreamLiner..... is it going to be "Office 14" on Windows; or, is it going to be OpenOffice, Notes, Symphony.... on eComStation. Perhaps, we all will get the answers we are seeking - When The "Fat Lady" Sings the "Interoperability" Tune!

[Rawnchie14]

The EU is always attacking MS, they make up reasons to "probe" MS hoping they can find something else to sue them for. It seems to me the EU has far too much authority to be able to and following through with bullying international corporations for their lunch money. "You're doing the right thing, but your STILL evil!" Yet they'll probably continue to turn a blind eye to Apple's monopolistic and extremely closed system tactics for years to come. It blows my mind how a group constituted of world leaders, can be so nausiatingly biased. The world is seriously, spiraling to hell.

[lucien64]

It should be EU not EC. And Microsoft has to support ODF as it is a standard and Microsoft is commited to support standards. And EU is for sure not investigating THAT they implement the format, but if the way to implement it is intended for getting competition out of business. As they have a long record of pushing competitors, they cannot control, out of business, it is for sure a wise move to investigate at the very beginning. And the EU has some funds to use for that task, as Microsoft has to pay big money...

[fred dunn]

If Bill Gates burped in public the EU would probably investigate that too. The EU is really getting on my nerves. Why? Because MS has to pay EU Lawyers to represent them in EU courts for all of this EU nonsense and where do you think MS is getting that money...out of the pockets of their American customers. What MS should do is add the cost of EU litigation and fines ONLY to those products sold in the EU. It just seems like the EU doesn't have anything else to do. As was mentioned above why don't they go after Apple and their closed OS+Hardware platform? I'll tell you why, because they know that they can't pinch as much out of Apple so it won't "pay off".

[Newspeak finder]

There is a very simple answer to all those criticising the EU for daring to look after the interests of EU citizens. Please don't sell in Europe if you don't want to play by our rules. You are free to take your products elsewhere. We really don't want monopolist companies who imagine they can flout our laws with impunity. Congratulations to the EU. PS It is the EU not the EC. It seems that senior Microsoft executives don't even know the name of the market they are trying to sell into and can't be bothered to find out.

[russkeller]

People seem quick to defend the Monopoly today. I wonder if you guys would be so quick to defend Microsoft if it was a Chinese company.

[sfotoord]

In other news, Microsoft announced that they are paying all of their fines to the EU. However, the EU has launched an investigation to make sure the check is good.