Comments
To : ISO/IEC JTC1Seccretariat
From : Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM)
Date : 2007-08-14
Subject: ISO/DIS 29500 "Information technology — Office Open
XML file formats"
Dear Chairman of ISO/IEC
JTC1/SC4,
Dear Secretary of
ISO/IEC JTC1/SC4,
Reference to
the submission of the ISO/DIS 29500 "Information technology — Office Open XML
file formats" under the Fast Track Procedure, Kindly note that Jordan
represented by the Information Technology Association of Jordan (INTAJ) and its
members in addition to other large national IT companies greatly support the
publication of the ECMA International's Open XML Standard as ISO/IEC Standard
(as shown in attachment 1 below). This resolution has been reached after
studying ISO/DIS 29500 carefully and ensuring that such standard doesn't
represent any contradiction with other ISO/IEC standards such as the Open
Documents Format (ODF).
Actually
INTAJ is an ICT industry-support association that embraces Jordan's ICT
businesses, with a mission to promote their advancement on a local and
International level, and enhance their capacity and performance. This goes in
parallel with improving the dynamics of Jordan's ICT market and catalyzing all
Jordan's ICT related activities.
In light of
this issue, let us also emphasize the importance of this vote as Open XML
represents an important advance in document standards that offers benefits to
technology users, IT industry, consumers, business and government worldwide. Its
publication benefits organizations that intend to implement applications capable
of using the format, commercial and governmental entities that procure such
software, and educators or authors who teach the format. Ultimately, all users
enjoy the benefits of an XML standard for their documents, including stability,
preservation, interoperability, and ongoing evolution. Consequently, the
approval of ECMA International's Open XML Standard as ISO/IEC Standard will
enhance marketplace adoption, broaden choice, and is fully consistent with what
has been done in other areas of technology (e.g., image formats, such as JPEG,
TIFF; digital video formats, such as MPEG-2 and H.264; and document formats,
such as HTML, ODF, and PDF/A), where overlapping standards (including multiple
ISO/IEC standards) that address distinct user needs have been approved and have
substantially benefited customers.
It is well known that Open XML is a new open standard document file format that is being used by many vendors and users, including open source developers (as shown in attachment 2 below) for the reason that the Open XML Formats specification is optimized for the level of precision and detail required to carry forward billions of existing files, including a complete specification for spreadsheet. The Open XML Formats also offer the unique capability of hosting custom-defined data languages within the document format. This capability is a key innovation for developers seeking to incorporate real-time business information into their documents, or those who seek to “tag” documents with their own categorization system.
The Open XML
format standardization effort represent a very focused effort to write down in a
standardized way the sum of information used in the already proven domain of
existing binary formats while preparing for future enhancements and
evolution.
Although Open XML and ODF are both intended to describe office documents, each is designed to satisfy different user requirements. Open XML has been designed to be capable of faithfully representing the majority of existing office documents in form and functionality. It is designed to replace existing binary document formats with easily accessible, open formats to meet a wide variety of user needs, formats which capture identical information yet are extensively documented, and can be implemented on a wide variety of operating systems and devices. Meeting this objective, while also satisfying many other goals, imposes stringent requirements on the overall design and architecture of the format. Among the other goals for Open XML are:
Further,
standardizing the format specification and maintaining it over time ensure that
multiple parties can safely rely on it, confident that further evolution will
enjoy the checks and balances afforded by an open standards process. The
compelling need exists for an open document-format standard that is capable of
preserving the billions of documents that have been created in the preexisting
binary formats, and the billions that continue to be created each year.
Technological advances in hardware, networking, and a standards-based software
infrastructure make it possible. The explosive diversification in market demand
– including significant existing investments in mission critical business
systems – makes it essential.
Thank you
for your support for Open XML.
Jordan
Institution for Standards and Metrology
(JISM)
Attachment
1
List of Companies and Organizations in Jordan which Support the Publication of ISO/DIS 29500 | ||
Company Name | Phone Number | Website Address |
Jordan University of Science and Technology | +962 (2) 7201000 | http://ejust.just.edu.jo/ |
MyTekPlus Training & IT Solutions | +962 (6) 535-9753 | http://mytekplus.com/en.mtp/ |
Blue Energy for Advanced Technologies (BEAT) | +962 (6) 4616856 | http://www.beat-jo.com |
Dara for Computers | +962 (6) 5674580 | http://www.darajo.com |
eSense Software Solution | +962 (6) 5155811 | http://www.esensesoftware.com |
ESTARTA SOLUTIONS | +962 (6) 5330751 | http://www.estartasolutions.com |
Exceed | +962 (6) 5677699 | http://www.exceed-me.com |
Focus Solutions | +962 (6) 5544978 | http://www.focuskm.com |
Ideal Group | +962 (6) 5930123 | http://www.ideal.jo |
Matrix Business Technology | +962 (6) 5532981 | http://www.matrix-me.com |
Menhaj Educational Technologies | +962 (6) 5655066 | http://www.menhaj.com |
OFFTEC - Systems | +962 (6) 4642724 | http://www.offtec.com/ |
Optimiza | +962 (6) 5629999 | http://www.optimizasolutions.com/ |
Primus | +962 (6) 5535733 | http://www.primus.com.jo |
RazorView | +962 (6) 585 4866 | http://www.razor-view.com/ |
OASIS Group | +962 (6) 5150485 | Http://www.samsync.com |
Shaheen Business and Investment Group | +962 (6) 5688000 | http://www.sbigholdings.com |
Systems and Electronic Development FZCO | +962 (6) 5533832 | http://www.sedco-online.com |
Water Authority of Jordan | +962 (6) 5680100 | http://www.waj.gov.jo/ |
Almond Solutions & Consultations | +962 (6) 5601482 | www.almondsolutions.com |
The Arab Potash Co. PLC | +962 (6) 5200520 | www.arabpotash.com |
Emirates For Computer | +962 (6) 556-2720 | www.bestbuy.jo |
CEB | +962 (6) 5161116 | www.ceb.com |
Delta Informatics | +962 (6) 5160371 | www.deltainf.com |
Eskadenia | +962 (6) 5510717 | www.eskadenia.com |
Fastlink | +962 (7) 95797979 | www.fastlink.jo |
Fleet Corp. Jordan | +962 (6) 5622232 | www.fleet-corp.com |
General Computers & Electronics | +962 (6) 5510294 | www.GCE.com.jo |
Hikmah Pharmaceuticals | +962 (6) 5802900 | www.hikma.com |
Injaz | +962 (6) 5657410 | www.injaz.org.jo |
InnoKAT | +962 (6) 5166554 | www.innokat.com |
Information Technology Association of Jordan (INTAJ) | +962 (6) 515 2322 | www.intaj.net |
Image Technologies (ITEC) | +962 (6) 567-5312 | www.itecj.com |
Integrated Technology Group (ITG) | +962 (6) 4618133 | www.itgsolutions.com |
Jeeran Inc. | +962 (6) 5825593 | www.jeeran.com |
List of Companies and Organizations in Jordan which Support the Publication of ISO/DIS 29500 | ||
University of Jordan | +962 (6) 5355000 | www.ju.edu.jo |
Jordan Wood Industries Co. | +962 (6) 4201171 | www.jwico.com |
Netcorps | +962 (6) 5692326 | www.netcorpsjordan.org |
Farah Trading & Contracting Co | +962 (6) 5827391 | www.next.jo |
Swan Software Services/Novo-Tek | +962 (6) 5656072 | www.novo-tek.com |
Minsitry of Water & Irrigation | +962 (6) 5652261 | www.pmu.gov.jo |
Princess Sumayya University for Technology | +962 (6) 5357130 | www.psut.edu.jo |
PC Zone | +962 (6) 5535306 | www.pz-zone-jo.com |
Scientific For Computer & System Co. | +962 (6) 5681642 | www.scsjo.com |
Smart Systems | +962 (6) 5627771 | www.smartsystems.jo |
SoftAct | +962 (6) 53335152 | www.softact.com |
Specialized Technical Services (STS) | +962 (6) 5802626 | www.sts.com.jo |
Information Technology Guard | +962 (6) 4601606 | - |
INSIGHT Business Solutions | +962 (6) 5346432 | - |
Al Saleh Computer Services | +962 (6) 5519630 | - |
Musang for Computers | +962 (6) 5533781 | - |
Office Pro Co. | +962 (6) 553-4418 | - |
Time Technology For Computers | +962 (6) 5537647 | - |
Ad-Tech | +962 (6) 5539388 | - |
Knowledge Axis | +962 (6) 5562947 | - |
Saif Computer Service Center | +962 (6) 5664847 | - |
Modern Information Systems Design | +962 (6) 5666273 | - |
Micro Computer Engineering | +962 (6) 5670309 | - |
Fun Directory | +962 (6) 5691180 | - |
Electronic Resources Planning Co. | +962 (6) 5693503 | - |
Tower Telecom Technology Solutions | +962 (6) 5856887 | - |
Generic Corporation | +962 (7) 99998072 | - |
Advanced Technologies | - | - |
Advanced Computer Technology | - | - |
Computer Field | - | - |
International Adverstising Association | - | - |
International Training & Consultancy Center | - | - |
I-Tech | - | - |
Macro Applications Co. | - | - |
H. Noah Commercial Est. | - | - |
Pro Technology | - | - |
Attachment
2
Uses of Open XML
Open XML
is a new open standard document file format that is being used by many vendors
and users, including open source developers like these:
OpenOffice on Linux
Gnumeric on Linux
OpenOffice on Mac
More ODF-OpenXML translators on Linux
Open Source Solutions on Windows
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