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
Blue Energy for Advanced Technologies (BEAT)
+962 (6) 4616856
Dara for Computers
+962 (6) 5674580
eSense Software Solution
+962 (6) 5155811
ESTARTA SOLUTIONS
+962 (6) 5330751
http://www.estartasolutions.com
Exceed
+962 (6) 5677699
Focus Solutions
+962 (6) 5544978
Ideal Group
+962 (6) 5930123
Matrix Business Technology
+962 (6) 5532981
Menhaj Educational Technologies
+962 (6) 5655066
OFFTEC - Systems
+962 (6) 4642724
Optimiza
+962 (6) 5629999
http://www.optimizasolutions.com/
Primus
+962 (6) 5535733
RazorView
+962 (6) 585 4866
OASIS Group
+962 (6) 5150485
Shaheen Business and Investment Group
+962 (6) 5688000
Systems and Electronic Development FZCO
+962 (6) 5533832
Water Authority of Jordan
+962 (6) 5680100
Almond Solutions & Consultations
+962 (6) 5601482
The Arab Potash Co. PLC
+962 (6) 5200520
Emirates For Computer
+962 (6) 556-2720
CEB
+962 (6) 5161116
Delta Informatics
+962 (6) 5160371
Eskadenia
+962 (6) 5510717
Fastlink
+962 (7) 95797979
Fleet Corp. Jordan
+962 (6) 5622232
General Computers & Electronics
+962 (6) 5510294
Hikmah Pharmaceuticals
+962 (6) 5802900
Injaz
+962 (6) 5657410
InnoKAT
+962 (6) 5166554
Information Technology Association of Jordan (INTAJ)
+962 (6) 515 2322
Image Technologies (ITEC)
+962 (6) 567-5312
Integrated Technology Group (ITG)
+962 (6) 4618133
Jeeran Inc.
+962 (6) 5825593
List of Companies and Organizations in Jordan which Support the Publication of ISO/DIS 29500
University of Jordan
+962 (6) 5355000
Jordan Wood Industries Co.
+962 (6) 4201171
Netcorps
+962 (6) 5692326
Farah Trading & Contracting Co
+962 (6) 5827391
Swan Software Services/Novo-Tek
+962 (6) 5656072
Minsitry of Water & Irrigation
+962 (6) 5652261
Princess Sumayya University for Technology
+962 (6) 5357130
PC Zone
+962 (6) 5535306
Scientific For Computer & System Co.
+962 (6) 5681642
Smart Systems
+962 (6) 5627771
SoftAct
+962 (6) 53335152
Specialized Technical Services (STS)
+962 (6) 5802626
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
Other vendors, other platforms use Open XML