Novell turns on Microsoft chum

THE LINUX distributor which signed a peace deal with Microsoft, Novell has given the Vole a swift kick in the nadgers by releasing a bit of code to undermine Microsoft Office.

Novell has released an add-on for OpenOffice which translates Microsoft's Open XML standard into the same language spoken by OpenOffice.

The move will mean that OpenOffice.org users don't have to worry about receiving a Microsoft Word file they can't read. Their open sauce software automatically converts it into something appropriately Open Saucy.

The issue is fairly crucial as many government departments through-out the world have been calling for Open Standards. Microsoft has been pushing its own OpenXML standard, but if OpenOffice can translate OpenXML too is no need for the expensive Office suite to do the job.

Many in the Open Sauce community have been hissing when ever they mention Novell, after it signed a deal with Microsoft which gave it protection from any patent lawsuits. At the time Novell said that it was not Ballmer's bunny, now it looks like he probably will not want to feed them any more carrots. µ

L'INQ
IT Wire