Microsoft have decided to change their usual acquisition fare, and are now purchasing the "International Standards Organization",or ISO.

Last year when MS was found to have fraudulently biased voting in favour of their OOXML format, they threatened to throw the toys out of the cot. But instead have found that the ISO can be bought off, and have won approval by the ISO for their OOXML format. (Again by fraudulently stacking voting, bribery, corruption... nothing new here.)

So, does this mean that the OOXML format used by Office 2007 can be used by other software to maintain compatibility? You would think so, but no. The file format is different. What has been passed is not even in use, probably never will be; because according to numerous experts it is a technical mess.

So what was the point? Again, to prove that they are the biggest and baddest on the block, that they can do whatever they damn well like, and that they are only doing this to achieve marketing kudos with the extremely gullible and naive.

Computerworld NZ link...

Google link...

And finally, you can see there are many who also think what a great idea this is at Slashdot.