Microsoft document formats gain Mass. favor
,----[ Quote ]
| Massachusetts caused a stir among governments and the technology industry
| nearly two years ago when it mandated the use of "open formats" in desktop
| applications.
|
| [...]
|
| "We completely agree: ooXML looks backward, while ODF is an international
| ISO standard, and is forward looking. The public understands this, too,
| as nearly 15,000 people opposing ooXML have signed an online petition
| circulated by the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure. We
| look forward to seeing the public discussion in the Commonwealth," Sutor
| said in a statement.
`----
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6194542.html
So, they pressured CIOs out of their jobs and replaced them with Microsoft
lobbyists. To the corrupt monopoly, this is a happy ending.
Related:
MA Governor-Elect Names MS Anti-ODF Lobbyist to Technology Advisory Group
,----[ Quote ]
| That person is Brian Burke, the Microsoft Regional Director for
| Public Affairs, and if that surprises you, it surprises me as well,
| given the degree of acrimonious debate and disinformation witnessed
| in Massachusetts over the last 15 months involving the Information
| Technology Division's transition to ODF.
`----
http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=20061128161343183
Interview with Christian Fernandez, of Binary Freedom
,----[ Quote ]
| Unfortunately, companies like Microsoft have thrown around their
| financial and political weight to combat our work. They defeated a
| measure in Florida through lobbying and the only way this abuse will
| stop is if we continue to fight them.
`----
http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/blogs/interview_christian_fernandez_binary_freedom
Second CIO:
,----[ Quote ]
| As CIO of Massachusetts from February to November last year, Louis
| Gutierrez had to endure most of the brunt of Microsoft Corp.'s political
| wrath over a state policy calling for the adoption of the Open Document
| Format for Office Applications, or ODF -- a rival to the software vendor's
| Office Open XML file format.
`----
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9012760&source=rss_news50
First CIO:
,----[ Quote ]
| Quinn: Almost to a person, to anybody involved or who knows about
| the ODF issue, they attributed the story to Microsoft, right, wrong
| or otherwise. Senator Pacheco may be a bully but I do not believe he
| is disingenious and would stoop to such a tactic. Senator Pacheco and
| Secretary Galvin's office remain very heavily influenced by the
|
| Microsoft money and its lobbyist machine, as witnessed by their
| playbook and words, in my opinion.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20060119232859729
State's move to open formats not a mass migration
,----[ Quote ]
| And Microsoft itself lobbied heavily against the original open formats
| policy after it was announced by the ITD.
|
| [...]
|
| The slower-than-planned adoption of ODF in Massachusetts appears to
| have influenced state legislators in Texas who recently quashed a
| bill calling for the use of open document formats -- one of five
| such proposals that have been defeated or shelved in the U.S. this
| year following strong opposition from Microsoft and its allies in
| the IT industry.
`----
http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2007/060807-states-move-to-open-formats.html?fsrc=rss-linux-news
|
|
