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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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