Office applications Toolkit
Story: Office 12 to 'bring XML to the masses'
Posted by: Arthur B. (Monday 5 September 2005, 9:27 PM)
The trick is to understand that when Microsoft speaks about "XML" they mean to say: "Microsoft XML". As is the case with, per example: "Microsoft Kerberos", "Microsoft TCP/IP", "Microsoft IPX", "Microsoft DOS", "Microsoft HTML", "Microsoft Java", etc, etc.
Embrace, Extend, Exterminate. Remember?
"Microsoft XML" comes with strings attached. There's stuff in their to lock customers in. There's stuff in their to lock out competitors.
It's not about open communication. It's about vendor specific communication for as long as that vendor sees fit.
In short: it's not about being able to speak with anyone once you agree upon a common language (English, French, Chinese, mathematics, morse, whatever) no matter what company, equipment and product the other guy is using. No, it's more about getting everyone to use the same equipment, company, product and language from the same vendor for as long as that vendor has no upgrades available.
A bit of a difference, I gather.
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