The Microsoft Office Binary File Formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt…) are now available for everyone under the Open Specification Promise, OSP. This is good news for all of you working with the traditional binary format, when for example moving them to the new Office Open Xml, OOXML, file format.
The binary file formats have previously been available for download for a long time (under RAND-Z), but now you download them here.
This change to put it under OSP, is due to the comments on OOXML by the national bodies and Microsoft has now promised ECMA International to make it easier to get hold of the specifications.
Thank you Brian Jones for bringing us the good weekend news.
Now I’m on for a two month parental leave…