It's ironic.

I've been busy with Open XML related activities since December, so busy in fact, that I haven't blogged about anything related to it!

Call it what you will, lack of discipline or surplus of work, either way, I'm blogging now.

As you probably know, (shame on you if you didn't) the Ballot Resolution Meeting (BRM) is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland at the moment. This is an important component of the ISO standardization process, as it is at this meeting that the comments raised by various countries will be addressed.

It is worth noting that the BRM's purpose is not to vote on whether Open XML will become an ISO/IEC standard, it is a forum to reach consensus on the technical issues surrounding the specification. The comments submitted by national bodies have already been tentatively addressed by ECMA International in their proposed dispositions. No comment has been left out in the cold, as ECMA has released a proposed disposition for all 1100 comments.

It is now the task of the BRM to determine whether these proposed modifications have satisfied the relevant national bodies, and whether they should be made to the final specification (officially called ISO/IEC DIS 29500).

Countries then have 30 days after the conclusion of the BRM to reconsider their official position on Open XML (now modified in accordance with their wishes as per the BRM process), and change from 'Disapprove' to 'Approve'.

I'll be following this entry up with links to the latest happenings and developments with regard to Open XML.