Microsoft has announced that it will be adding new formats to its Office 2007 software, starting with the next service pack, Service Pack 2 – due in the first half of 2009.
The new formats includes the Portable Document Format (PDF), XML Paper Specification (XPS) and its OOXML rival Open Document Format (ODF). This is not the first time since Microsoft worked with ODF, releasing a converter for Word users in late 2006. A converter is also in the works for older versions of Office, including 2000, XP and 2003.
As well, the company produced an add-on for users to save documents in PDF and XPS. Both OOXML and ODF formats are both ISO standards.
[...] a main topic this month, with BECTA wanting Office 2007 expelled, announcing that Office 2007 will support ODF in SP2, starting a “cashback” service on Windows Live, and fighting the European Union – [...]