- Microsoft’s XML formatting is making some files ‘inconvenient’ and others unreadable, LibreOffice claims
- It says users need formats like ODF which are open and not managed by one single vendor
- Sovereignty is about choice, not about blocking certain companies
The Document Foundation, which is responsible for the LibreOffice software suite, has claimed Microsoft‘s Office file formats are creating unnecessary vendor lock-in by making it harder for users and workers to switch between vendors.
The organization’s blog post specifically slates XML-based formats, like DOCX and XLSX, which were introduced in 2007 as successors to the more open DOC and XLS formats.
Post author Italo Vignoli argued these formats act as more or less proprietary formats in practical terms because files opened by other programs, like LibreOffice, don’t behave the same and can have formatting issues.
Microsoft slates over its XML document formatting
The Document Foundation asserts that, while Microsoft has circumnavigated potential lock-in accusations by allowing other software to fully access XML documents, their functionality can be drastically reduced. Fonts, bullets, headings, tables and other formatting could be prone to change, depending on the tools used, leading to inaccessible and inconsistent documents.
Vignoli described the issue as “a silent and persistent friction that makes any work outside the Microsoft ecosystem seem slightly off, slightly unreliable, slightly unprofessional,” rather than any type of technical barrier.
He noted that, while for consumers the result could be a mere “inconvenience”, it could create major problems for legal firms and hospitals who want to step away from Microsoft.
The post also warns that evolving document formats could lead to problems later on down the line. With only a handful of companies properly implementing certain formats, and those formats retiring, some documents could be unreadable in a decade or two – a major compliance and regulatory issue.
As digital sovereignty demands play out globally, with many European enterprises and agencies looking to adopt more local or open-source alternatives, Vignoli highlighted the role that open standard like the Open Document Format (ODF) can play.
ODF’s “specifications are published, freely implementable and managed by a body independent of any single vendor.”
Vignoli’s conclusion is that digital sovereignty isn’t about being anti-Microsoft or pro-LibreOffice. It’s about giving companies and consumers the choice and free will to use the software they prefer without unnecessary hurdles and barriers holding them back.
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