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OPEN DEBATE FLARES; Sun: Microsoft Vows Can't Stand the Light

Posted on: Thursday, 24 November 2005, 15:00 CST

By JESSE NOYES

A key Microsoft competitor urged caution yesterday as Gov. Mitt Romney's administration warmed up to the software giant afrer after its recent announcement that it would take steps towards toward opening up its latest Office program to a standardized format.

In a move aimed at appeasing governmental bodies around the globe, including in Massachusetts, Microsoft said earlier this week it would submit its Open Office XML technology to an international standards organization to make its Word, Excel and PowerPoint suite accessible without having to buy Microsoft software.

The Romney administration - which directed state government executive offices to file all records in OpenDocument format by 2007 - said yesterday it felt optimistic about Microsoft's latest steps towards adopting an open standard for its document format.

"We're pleased that Microsoft has moved in this direction," said Secretary of Administration and Finance Thomas Trimarco cq .

Trimarco He said the administration administration is continuing discussions with Microsoft, but intimated that if the software maker adopted open standards it would meet the regulations laid down earlier in the year by Romney.

"We're very pleased with the F finance S secretary's positive comments," Alan Yates, general manager of Microsoft's office division, said in a statement.

But Sun Microsystems - a rival that recently aligned itself with Google to take on Microsoft - said Romney's office should ask tough questions about Microsoft's definition of "open." Historically, Microsoft has not fallen followed through on attempts to make their software accessible to everyone, claimed Sun's said Sun Chief Open- Source Officer Simon Phipps said .

"I'm not seeing anyone asking the questions," Phipps said. "I see people taking . . . Microsoft's announcement at face value."

Source: Boston Herald

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