Google backs OpenDocument format
It joined the ODF Alliance over the weekend
Computerworld - Google Inc. has joined a U.S.-based lobbying group supporting the use of the OpenDocument file format (ODF).
The Mountain View, Calif., search engine company officially became a member of the Washington-based ODF Alliance on Saturday, according to Marino Marcich, managing director of the group.
Google officials did not respond to a request for comment. But Marcich called Google's decision to join "a natural fit, given Writely's support for ODF and further indication of momentum behind ODF."
Writely is an online word-processing program acquired by Google in the spring. The still-in-beta product lets multiple users create and edit the same document in real time through their Web browsers. Along with other software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, Writely is being touted by some as a possible long-term competitor to Microsoft Word. Google also recently launched an online spreadsheet program, Google Spreadsheets. That application does not support OpenDocument.
The ODF Alliance claims more than 240 members. Half are technology vendors, including founding members IBM, Oracle Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., Red Hat Inc. and Novell Inc. The other half comprise government bodies, nonprofit groups and academic institutions, according to Marcich. Companies can join the alliance without donating money.
ODF is an open XML file format that was accepted by the International Standards Organization as a standard in May. It is being adopted by the state government in Massachusetts, and in Denmark and Belgium for official governmental use.
Microsoft is proffering its Open XML format for acceptance as a standard by the European Computer Manufacturers Association, though it has declined to make Open XML, the standard format for the upcoming Office 2007, compliant with ODF. Last week it said it would support the creation of a third-party plug-in to enable Microsoft Office to read and save ODF files.
Other Web-based SaaS applications that open or save files in ODF include the AjaxOffice productivity suite, the iRows.com spreadsheet and the ZohoWriter word processor.
Read more about Open Source in Computerworld's Open Source Topic Center.



- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- Consolidating SAP Applications to Linux on Power by IDC
- IDC studied a group of enterprises that had deployed SAP applications on IBM Power Systems servers running Linux server operating environments and had...
- An Interactive eGuide: Open Source
- By now, enterprises are well aware of the benefits of open-source software, which boasts a clean design, reliability, and maintainability, as well as...
- The Benefits of IBM: The Savings of Open Source
- Download Now
- Overcome Top 7 Admin Challenges of Active Directory
- As Active Directory's role in the enterprise has drastically increased, so has the need to secure the data. Gain insight on creating repeatable,...
- Insiders Can Ruin Your Company. Take Action.
- Did you know that 80 percent of threats to an organization come from the inside? The threat from insiders is often overlooked in... All Open Source White Papers
- Optimizing Networks for the Cloud
- Join guest speaker, Rohit Mehra, IDC Director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure, to explore current trends, discuss best practices for optimizing Data Center and...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 2: Designing and Deploying SQL Server on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn about the design considerations for virtualizing SQL workloads, performance and scalability information and high-availability options, as well as...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 1: Designing and Deploying Exchange 2010 on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn the virtual hardware design considerations for Exchange 2010, deployment using the building block approach, options for high-availability and...
- Customer Spotlight: How IPC The Hospitalist Company Implemented Oracle on VMware
- Have you been looking to hear about customer's experiences with the new VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager product? View this webcast to learn...
- Virtualize Business-Critical Applications with Confidence
- Virtualizing business-critical applications has become a key focus for organizations as they move along their virtualization journey. With the launch of VMware vSphere®... All Open Source Webcasts