Microsoft zazzels towards ODF

In a tacit acknowledgment of the OpenDocument Format's (ODF) increased momentum, Microsoft Corp. announced today that it will back an open-source project to create software allowing Microsoft Office users to open and save files in ODF. The project, to be hosted on Sourceforge.net, will be led by three independent software vendors funded by Microsoft and is open to all developers ... The goal is a free plug-in that allows users to natively save files in ODF within Office, as well as convert files in Office 2007's OpenXML format to ODF and back. The Word plug-in is expected by December, with similar plug-ins for Excel and PowerPoint expected in 2007 ... Until now, Microsoft has publicly declined to make OpenXML compatible with ODF, saying any such move would stifle its own innovation. But ... the company had been discussing that option with government customers for months. Besides bankrolling the project, Microsoft will provide only technical assistance.