Inviting Updegrove to speak at OpenDocument workshop in San Diego

["Carol Geyer" <carol.geyer@oasis-open.org>]

Does the TC think there would be an advantage to inviting Andy Updegrove to
speak at the OpenDocument Workshop following the OASIS Symposium in San Diego?
It's likely Andy would require travel reimbursement (which we don't have in our
budget), but if we think he'd be a big draw for attendees, perhaps we should
approach him and find out if he's interested.

Please let me know what you think,
Carol



-----Original Message-----
From: andrew.updegrove@gesmer.com [mailto:andrew.updegrove@gesmer.com] 
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 12:00 PM
Subject: Microsoft's Open Letter to IBM

Perhaps the most significant news this week in the battle between OOXML and
ODF was Microsoft's decision to escalate the air wars by firing a shot
across IBM's bows.  Microsoft delivered the message in the form of an open
letter "valentine" posted at the Microsoft Interoperability Web page, and
publicized in simultaneous interviews.  In that letter, Microsoft
summarizes its position on the importance of OOXML, stresses Microsoft's
passive role in the adoption by ISO/IEC of ODF, and most forcefully,
accuses IBM of waging a global, hypocritical campaign to thwart the
approval of OOXML in JTC 1.

The action is hardly surprising, and perhaps even overdue. OOXML's first
few weeks in the ISO process have not gone as well as Microsoft would have
hoped, with many national bodies filing responses during the initial
one-month contradictions period.  Microsoft has taken the position that
many of these comments will prove to be neutral (or even laudatory), rather
than overwhelmingly negative, but in the not-too distant future the
comments themselves will become public. If in fact the comments received by
JTC1 are largely negative, as I have been led to believe, Microsoft will
need to revert to a Plan B,  such as a conspiracy theory by ODF-compliant
vendors "to limit customer choice."  It appears that this may be the major
purpose of the open letter.

One line in the letter: "The IBM driven effort to force ODF on users
through public procurement mandates is a further attempt to restrict
choice," is likely to be setting the stage for a broader message, given the
recent filing of open format legislation in Texas and Minnesota.  If so,
this may be the opening shot in a messaging campaign that we will hear long
after the review of OOXML by ISO/IEC is ended.

For a more detailed analysis, see:
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=2007021507253728

The open letter may be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/interop/letters/choice.mspx

As always, please let me know if you would like to be removed from this
list.

Andrew Updegrove
Gesmer Updegrove LLP
40 Broad Street
Boston, MA  02109
v:  617/350-6800
f:  617/350-6878
http://www.gesmer.com
http://www.consortiuminfo.org
http://www.opensourcelegal.org





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