[Fsfe-uk] EU talks with Sun and MS about standards for "interchange of data between administrations"

[James Heald]

Anyone feel that there is (at least) one other set of voices which could 
have been invited to be in on this discussion ?


http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/ida/jsps/index.jsp?fuseAction=showDocument&parent=news&documentID=2387

"Around 25 representatives from Member States and Accession Countries 
joined together with Commission Officials to listen to and to discuss 
the need for open document formats with representatives of Sun and 
Microsoft. The basis for the discussions was a recent report 
commissioned by the IDA Programme that will be issued shortly. This 
report looks at issues related to document formats and interoperability 
in the context of the particular requirements put forward by Public 
Administrations in Europe. The purpose of the meeting was to give SUN 
and Microsoft, which the report had identified as the major providers of 
document formats used in public administrations, an opportunity to 
comment and clarify issues raised in the report and to discuss options 
for policy recommendations with national participants. Issues that were 
touched upon during the presentation were differences in the use of XML 
technology by the two companies, the openness of the formats, legal 
terms and questions related to standardisation".