Microsoft’s REAL choice for Governments…

re: Microsoft’s REAL choice for Governments…

Jason — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:02:14 GMT

I also find it interestng that people associate Google with open. If you are running an Enterprise and decide to move out of the Google cloud to another platform or solution - take a look at how difficult it really is to get your data out of it for your enterprise. On a one off, per person basis it might not seem so bad but trying to migrate more than a handful of people and it turns into a real $$ investment for an organization. So looking at the longer term is really critical not just looking forward a few months or a year. So it not really not possible to "just walk away" unless you spend some $.

re: Microsoft’s REAL choice for Governments…

Hector — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:41:57 GMT

I love this:

"Choice comes from free markets... but in the next paragraph states that governments should mandate procurement preferences for open source software"

I remember a question made by a CIO during an important event in Spain, addressed to an OSS supportive Public Admnistration: "So, if OSS if so good, Why are you MANDATING me to use iSt? houldn't it be a more natural choice?

re: Microsoft’s REAL choice for Governments…

Doug Mahugh — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:19:30 GMT

And in addition to the ODF translator mentioned above, Office has built-in ODF support since Office 2007 SP2 and Office 2010. Another choice.

John, your comment about being free to walk away from Google is interesting to me, because I work closely with document formats and from my perspective Google locks customers in with some of their document format functionality. For example, tracked changes in ODF documents -- Google applies those changes, but then they don't let the user save with ODF tracked changes going forward, and instead expect users to look to the Google revision history to determine what changes have been made. With Microsoft Office (or OpenOffice.org, for that matter), users are free to save their tracked changes in a standards-based format and "walk away," but Google doesn't allow users to do the same thing.

re: Microsoft’s REAL choice for Governments…

Dan Kasun — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:24:38 GMT

Well, MSFT does sign my paycheck, so I guess you could say I'm owned by them... :)

That said, one just needs to apply logic to Microsoft's motives here:

First - let's assume that Microsoft wants to stay in business, and to do so they'll need customers to want to use their products and technologies into the future.

Second - Customers are demanding flexibility and use of open standards, open formats, and interoperability.

Thus, using the application of logic, in order to guarantee customer adoption and a future market, Microsoft must support open standards, open formats, and interoperability. Since Microsoft wants to be in business in the future, choosing to do so only makes clear, logical sense.

Question for you: If Microsoft chose to go in a direction that did not use open standards, used completely proprietary formats, and had limited interoperability - how many customers do you think would bet on them as a strategic platform?

Sometimes I think folks who are strongly anti-msft are too biased to recognize that Microsoft is protecting their future by embracing open standards/formats and rich interoperability.

I believe that anyone with a reasonable amount of objectivity can recognize the positive move Microsoft has made here.

Those who stand behind the use of open standards/formats should acknowledge and support the progress that's been made (otherwise, what example are you setting for other companies who are considering such a strategy?).

-Dan

re: Microsoft’s REAL choice for Governments…

john — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:53:32 GMT

please, you are owned by M$oft. Every bit of you business is to figure out how to tie customers into your system so they can't leave (at least with Google I can walk away) with microsoft products you are stuck. Microsoft is only involved with open standards as long as its a good PR move (and slowly those open standards become closed when you use your products).

save the indignation for you customers who are catching on to you willy tactics. (I was one, now I'm free).