[Sussex] Re: Business, Linux, Ethics and Standards

[Derek Harding]

On Tue, 6 May 2003 11:26:10 +0100, Geoff Teale
<Geoff.Teale at claybrook.co.uk> wrote:
> Mark wrote:
> -----------
> > Geoff,
> > 
> > I've spent the last 5 years of my life working for end user 
> > companies dealing
> > with suppliers, and you are absolutely right - I would send 
> > out information in
> > Word / Excel / Powerpoint format, and expect them to be able 
> > to read it.

<much cut>

> Yes.  OpenOffice.org is very important and good.  But what happens
> when you're customers move to Office 11?  90% of users just hit save,
> they don't ever consider file format.  So suddenly OpenOffice.org is
> back playing cath-up, if you are lucky it might open the files, but
> the format is screwed.  How long can you wait for OOo to catch up
> again?  Better still, what if you start dealing with a publishing
> company and they expect you to deal with files produced by Quark
> Express?  Then you are stuffed, there is no OpenSource reader fot that
> file format.

<more cut>
</cuts>

My company is currently part of an EU project - internally, the lead company tends to send stuff as .doc but the EU insist on .pdf or .rtf - I tend to use .rtf by default anyway, so .sxw files don't get sent. However, the lead company has stopped using some of the M$ formats, preferring standard types - except .ppt which they use as default instead of Visio which I persuaded them not to use. Thankful am I for mercies small!

 In terms of our small and middle clients, as soon as I demonstrate OOo on their Winx boxes, they convert without fail, particularly in France because it is seen as non-american - all except the lead company, but they aren't clients I suppose!

--
Best wishes,
Derek