[ILUG] Dublin, Monday, March 31st, 2008--NSAI Votes to Approve Office Open XML Standard

[Ronan Roche]

NSAI Votes to Approve Office Open XML Standard

 

Dublin, Monday, March 31st, 2008. NSAI (National Standards Authority of
Ireland) has voted to approve OOXML (Office Open XML) software specification
as an international standard. Developed largely by Microsoft, OOXML (Office
Open XML) is an extension of the Extensible Mark-up Language, a general
purpose language, allowing users to define their own tags, its primary
purpose being to facilitate the sharing of data across different information
systems, particularly via the Internet. 

 

NSAI, as Ireland’s official standards and measurement body and as a full
member of ISO (the International Organisation for Standardisation), is
entitled to participate and vote on any technical committee and policy
committee of ISO. The OOXML submission is a joint process between ISO and
its sister body, IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission).  A key
characteristic of international standardisation is that each National
standards body, of which there are more than 100 worldwide, has one vote in
the approval process, irrespective of the size of country. Ireland’s vote of
‘Approval’ comes after a lengthy period of intensive review, analysis and
discussion in respect of the OOXML submission. 

 

In August 2007, NSAI initially voted a qualified Approval, subject to the
resolution of a number of technical issues highlighted by NSAI’s ICT
Standards Consultative Committee. These issues, or ‘comments’, have been
since been resolved and NSAI modified the vote to Approve.

 

Maurice Buckley, Chief Executive, NSAI, said, “Standards play a key role in
developing trade and enterprise in Ireland and NSAI and the ICT Committee
demonstrated expertise, dedication and impartiality in this matter.”

 

The progress of this OOXML proposal through the international standards
process has been accompanied by unprecedented media attention, extending far
outside the technical community into the blogosphere, international business
media and national media around the world.  

 

-ends-

 

For more information, please call:

Ronan Roche, Corporate Reputations, 01 661 8915, 086 046 0326,
ronan at corporatereputations.ie

 

Niamh Boyle, Corporate Reputations, 01 661 8915, 087 248 1476,
niamh at corporatereputations.ie

 

Notes to Editor:

NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) NSAI is Ireland’s official
standards and measurement body. Their work entails serving industry and
protecting consumer interests through the setting of standards and issuing
of certification in the quality and safety of goods and services. NSAI
supports enterprise, trade, consumers and government through the effective
provision of services of the highest quality in the areas of Standards,
Legal Metrology, Agrément, Certification and Scientific/Industrial
Metrology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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