As mentioned here recently, Microsoft is beginning to adapt a different attitude towards working with open source software and vendors. Now, as a further add-on to the news of Microsoft and Linux vendor Novell partnering, it has been revealed that Microsoft and Novell will also work towards better interoperability between Microsoft Office and Novell’s release of OpenOffice.org productivity suite.

This will certainly be [a project] of months, not years

The deal will initially see an ODF-Open XML translator for Microsoft Word, with similar translators to be made available for other applications in their respective suites at a later time. According to David Kaefer, Microsoft’s general manager of intellectual property and licensing, more information might be available by January 1, 2007.

Open XML is an open format for files that Microsoft was the leader in creating. ODF, Open Document Format, is an open standard covering computer documents. It is free for anyone to implement into their software, and is was (?) at the center of a large battle over file formats.

Source: TechWeb