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WebSite Information => Article Discussions => Topic started by: kim on 2008.02.21, 20:12:42

Title: Microsoft Releases Office Binary Formats
Post by: kim on 2008.02.21, 20:12:42
http://www.os2world.com/content/view/17090/79/ (http://www.os2world.com/content/view/17090/79/)
QuotePosted by Administrator - Wednesday, 20 February 2008


Micr. .. .

Okey, so M$ finally got enough pressure to open up their archive for binary formats and as well for API according to The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/microsoft_goes_open/):

"Specifically, Microsoft revealed that it will publish the APIs for Windows Vista, Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 on its website. "Developers do not need to take a license or pay a royalty or other fee to access this information," the company said. "Open access to this documentation will ensure that third-party developers can connect to Microsoft's high-volume products just as Microsoft's other products do."

In addition, Microsoft will release some 30,000 pages of documentation surrounding Windows client and server protocols. In the past, partners and customers needed to acquire a trade secret license to this information through the Microsoft Work Group Server Protocol Program (WSPP) and the Microsoft Communication Protocol Program (MCPP). Similar protocol reveals will occur for Office 2007 and other "high-volume products" in the coming months."


This is kind of going to be interesting to see what they actually will release and how this can be of benefit for various open source projects.
Title: Re: Microsoft Releases Office Binary Formats
Post by: saborion2 on 2008.02.21, 22:44:41
Interesting indeed. In that, "Specifically, Microsoft revealed that it will publish the APIs for Windows Vista, Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, Office 2007, Exchange Server 2007 and Office SharePoint Server 2007 on its website. "Developers do not need to take a license or pay a royalty or other fee to access this information," the company said. "Open access to this documentation will ensure that third-party developers can connect to Microsoft's high-volume products just as Microsoft's other products do." This being the case: Are there not enough OS/2 Geeks around the world who can quite easily and gladly come up with "workarounds" with regards to APIs that will provide for enhancements that OS/2 may badly be in need of... just take a look at the "existing" Bounties that exist in the OS/2 World's Bounty System as the rationale for this statement.

Just an opinion.  ???
Title: Re: Microsoft Releases Office Binary Formats
Post by: kim on 2008.02.21, 23:01:02
Agree, even if this information might be of help for existing developers, we sure could need more people to develop for eCS and as well there is need to provide why they should. This might not be the easiest mission to get people outside the OS2 community involved.

It might be a good suggestion to open up a bounty to set together a proper working development platform for the one who really wants to get involved. Proper package with the needed tools, utilities and documentation. This might already exist, but then again, I've noticed once a while that people ask for this kind of info frequently.
Title: Re: Microsoft Releases Office Binary Formats
Post by: saborion2 on 2008.02.22, 18:27:04
Hi "kimhav"; Will there be an official statement (Official Press Release..) from the OS/2 World Foundation with respect to how the OS/2 Communities around the world stand to benefit from "Microsoft's API and Protocol announcement" on Thursday. Please follow the below attached:

Re: "Winners and losers in Microsoft's open API move"

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/022108-microsoft-open-api.html?netht=rn_022208&nladname=022208dailynewsamal

Also, is there a "belief" that the petition from the OS/2 World Foundation for IBM to Open-Source OS/2 had any bearing on this decision by Microsoft to "cut some major chains protecting the intellectual property of its Windows and other core enterprise products"

Re: "Microsoft bends toward open source with API release"

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/022108-microsoft-open-source.html

Kindest regards.

Title: Re: Microsoft Releases Office Binary Formats
Post by: RobertM on 2008.02.23, 02:40:08
Note: this is NOT an official statement from the OS2WF, just my opinion.

Previous track records have proven that when MS has made similar claims in the past, it has amounted to nothing - or nothing of use. My opinion is this move (the announcement) is simply a way of trying to push OOXML into acceptance as an "Open Standard" - and that even if it results in format information being released, that information will either be (one or more of the following - again based on previous track records):


This is the same company who claims they already released all this information to the EU courts a while back - which turned out to be mostly useless (with the useful parts having already been figured out by everyone else). I see no reason they would diverge from such tactics now - especially as this comes as their retaliation to help ensure OOXML is adopted.

Just my opinion - though we can always hope MS changed their tune - in which case, I'd suspect that eCS and OS/2 will benefit - if only from OpenOffice having made use of the information - if not through other means like import/export filters that the eCS community can make use of elsewhere.

-Robert
Title: Free software, open-source groups skeptical of Microsoft's interoperability effo
Post by: BigWarpGuy on 2008.02.25, 21:07:44
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9064261&source=NLT_AM&nlid=1 (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9064261&source=NLT_AM&nlid=1)
"'They have made pledges before,' says one critic" One should always be careful when dealing with Microsoft.  8)