FYI: Belgian government chooses OpenDocument - ZDNet UK News

[Erwin Tenhumberg <Erwin.Tenhumberg@Sun.COM>]

FYI

"The OpenDocument Format (ODF) is to be the standard format for 
exchanging documents within the Belgian government. This proposal, which 
is expected to be approved by Belgium's Council of Ministers on Friday, 
increases the pressure from governments worldwide on Microsoft to 
embrace open standards.

 From September 2008 onwards, all document exchanges within the services 
of the Belgian Government will have to be in an open, standard format, 
according to the proposal now before the Belgian Ministers. Only ODF is 
accepted as such a standard in the proposal. Earlier drafts of the 
Belgian proposal had treated ODF and Microsoft's own Open XML format 
(which is to be included in Office 2007) on equal footing."

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/applications/0,39020384,39276978,00.htm