It also said that Microsoft would provide the arguements in case the partners were asked why they voted "yes".

"partnership" should have nothing to do with this process. This is a tecnhical evaluation. It supposed that NB are analyzing the technical merits of this "beast" ( DIS 29500 ). But they are voting for commercial interests.

Bad for people, bad for interoperability, bad for openess, good for monopolists. Party on !!

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=685968

(Swedish only so far, sorry.)

SiS has also contributed to these lists: (FWIW…)
http://computersweden.idg.se/2.2683/1.118249

—
David Vuorio

"Sverige säger ja till Office Open XML som global standard"
http://www.newsdesk.se/pressroom/sis_swedish_standards_institute_/pressrelease/view/sverige-saeger-ja-till-office-open-xml-som-global-standard-163993

See also:

"Microsoft buys the Swedish vote on OOXML"
http://www.os2world.com/content/view/14868/2/

And the FFII.se press release:

"PRESSMEDDELANDE: Microsoft trollar fram svenskt stöd för standardisering av sitt Officeformat"
http://www.ffii.se/pr/2007-08-27-se-ooxml-vote.html

KnowIT is IBM partner and Oracle partner
http://www.knowit.se/KIT_templates/Page____1749.aspx

Sogeti is both IBM and Oracle partner
http://www.sogeti.se/templates/Sogeti_LokalStartsida____2214.aspx

Module1 is IBM business partner
http://www.modul1.se/modul1/templates/Page____255.aspx

I do not know most of those companies but companies like HP, Sogeti and KnowIT are also large to very large international IT companies. If such companies support Offce Open XML they can represent themselves in multiple NB organs.

Just one question: where is ethics?

Out the window, along with any strive for quality, honesty, openness or interoperability, and any respect for international standards.

It takes a certain amount of decency from a company to bother with ethics. Many companies have now realized that they need to be reasonably ethical to survive in the long run, but apparently, Microsoft has not yet seen the need to "be nice". On the contrary they have a very strong track record of being secretive, deceptive and unethical, and recent events show that this is not going to change, at least not under their current management.

I have a growing feeling that this has actually taken them a few steps too far across the line to the dark side for the public to ignore it. I would like to see Microsoft being forced to respond in public and defend their actions in this matter. How can we bring their dirty laundry out in the open and make ordinary people, politicians and antitrust agencies care? The thing that this dirty process needs, and has needed all along, is openness and public scrutiny.

Unlike dictators, Microsoft does not control the press, at least not most of it. How can we present this story to the press in a polite and truthful manner so that they look into it and expose Microsoft's unethical actions? Public humiliation is never good for a company. We need to hit them where it hurts and where their money can't buy them out of it. Their lack of ethics can actually be a weak spot.

Exor AB: (Microsoft Partner) [ http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1776744,00.asp , http://www.exor.se ]

Formpipe software AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.formpipe.se/ ]

H-Vision AB

HP

Cybernetics (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.cybernetics.se/ ]

Google

Ibizkit AB (Microsoft Partner) [http://www.ibizkit.se/]

Readrift AB

Emric AB (Microsoft Partner) [ https://solutionfinder.microsoft.com/SDK/Partners/PartnerDetailsView.aspx?partnerid=2d61525ebf224a5bab683ebb79513786 , http://www.emric.se/ ]

Strand Interconnect AB (Microsoft Gold Partner ) [ https://solutionfinder.microsoft.com/SDK/Partners/PartnerDetailsView.aspx?partnerid=ba8f10356a9c476c8a380f0a3e04865c , http://www.strandinterconnect.se/ ]

Nordicstation AB (Microsoft Partner) [ http://www.nordicstation.com/ ]

Sourcetech AB (Microsoft Partner ) [ http://www.sourcetech.se/ ]

Cornerstone Sweden AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.cornerstone.se/ ]

Solid Park AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ https://solutionfinder.microsoft.com/SDK/Partners/PartnerDetailsView.aspx?partnerid=fab84b17b80a48f49a8254066ed2655d, http://www.solidpark.se/ ]

Fishbone systems AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.fishbonesystems.com/english.aspx ]

FSSystem AB (MS Shop?) [ http://www.fssystem.se/products.htm ]

KnowIT Sverige (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.e24.se/dynamiskt/it_telekom/did_11625410.asp , http://www.knowit.se/ ]

Modul 1 (Microsoft Gold Partner) , http://www.modul1.se/

IDE Nätverkskonsulter (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ https://solutionfinder.microsoft.com/SDK/Partners/PartnerDetailsView.aspx?partnerid=d3d6827e46e2448f8e43a0b891f1dacf , http://www.idenet.com/]

Connecta AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) , http://www.connecta.se/

Camako Data AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ https://solutionfinder.microsoft.com/SDK/Partners/PartnerDetailsView.aspx?partnerid=5df7ca3cb5a248dfa888dc25def03590 , http://www.camako.se/ ]

Sogeti AB (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.sogeti.se/templates/Sogeti_LokalStartsida____3408.aspx , http://www.sogeti.se/ ]

Tieto Enator Corp. (Microsoft Gold Partner) [ http://www.microsoft.com/germany/mittelstand/partner/partnerfinder.mspx?partnerid=7b8fa6364fcf4dc59bac065950f911f2 , http://www.tietoenator.com/ ]

All these small latecomers crashing the party have the same vote as large companies and governmental bodies. This would probably be perfectly all right if this had been a healthy standards process, where everyone involved was set on making the standard as good as possible before accepting it. Here, all quality considerations have clearly gone out the window and the vote is now merely for show. While Microsoft probably makes sure to obey the letter of the voting rules they quite literally take a crap on their intent and laugh while doing it.

I fully expect the press release to say "Sweden approves to DIS 29500 as proposed, no comments submitted". I actually thought SIS had some integrity, but apparently I was wrong.

Let's hope that ISO has not been bought like ECMA and still can muster enough courage and honesty to stop this. But seeing how Microsoft has run over all opposition at almost every turn so far, I wouldn't be surprised if there are dirty tricks being played within ISO as well. After all, could you imagine MS doing all this if they didn't actually think they could get away with it? This is an open demonstration of contempt for the standards process, and it should be doomed to failure if ISO has any honesty left. I suspect we might soon have some very ugly things revealed about ISO too.

Tonight, I will delete my legal copy of Windows and burn the disk in the microwave. It won't make a difference in the big picture, but it will make me feel better about myself.

I was asked by Daniel at FFII to come to SIS [NB] today, Daniel said that Microsoft had stuffed the committee with 5-7 partners in time for the vote. That a "No" would probably become a "Yes" for a very poorly developed standard.

First I spoke with Torbjörn Cederholm at SIS to see if it wasn't possible to stop companies that had not participated in the earlier meetings from voting. But SIS did not want to do that. So I filled out a form and thought that an investment of 17 000 was not too bad if I could avoid having both inches and millimeter screws in drawer [dual standards]. I thought I could maybe balance the 5-7 new companies.

But when we arrived at the meeting it turned out that these 23 companies had also applied for membership on the voting day:

Exor AB
Formpipe software AB
H-Vision AB
HP
Cybernetics
Google (will probably vote No with comments)
Ibi2kitAB
Readrift AB
Emric AB
Strand Interconnect AB
Nordicstation AB
Sourcetech AB
Cornerstone Sweden AB
Solid Park AB
Fishbode systems AB
FSSystem AB
KnowIT Sverige
Modul 1
IDE Nätverkskonsulter
Connecta AB
Camako Data HB
Sogeti AB
Tieto Enator Corp.

From a "NO" it looks now as if we have 28 organisations in favour and 6-7 against.

This is how a standard is bought.
I left the meeting in protest - pissed off.

I thought Sweden was not a corruptable country?

Maybe I was wrong?