Microsoft responds to creeping threat

Microsoft is lobbying strongly to have its "OpenXML" document format recognised as a standard, to head off the threat represented by ODF, the format used by OpenOffice amongst others.

"Ed Homan, an orthopedic surgeon representing a central Florida district in the state legislature, thought an amendment touting open-source document formats he tucked into a 38-page bill wouldn't draw much attention.

But within an hour of the proposed bill's reading in late March, Homan said, he was greeted in his office by three lobbyists representing Microsoft Corp."

Read more at Dow Jones MarketWatch here.