I recently came across Voices For Innovation. Voices for Innovation is a website set up by Microsoft corporation. It includes a grassroot petition that counters the <no>OOXML campaign of FFII.

Voices for Innovation supports a policy environment which fosters innovation and enables all participants using and developing technology, including end users and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), to harvest the full benefits of an economy with a growing ICT sector. Members of Voices for Innovation seek to share their opinions and viewpoints regarding the key issues of innovation and SME policies. Voices for Innovation will represent the many voices of innovation across our local and regional communities.

A concerned citizen says OOXML

"standardization by ISO would bring great benefits for me as a software developer and a small entrepreneur: it will provide openness and interoperability, increase flexibility and long term security and will allow my business to develop the applications my customers demand. How is this possible? Let me explain some key technical reasons."

All existing documents can be moved into Open XML and ODF without any loss of data.

Open XML is an ECMA standard, and it would be possible to convert documents to ISO 26300:2006 without any loss of data. Sounds optimistic. Then why do you need OOXML as a second ISO standard? Why is ISO better than ECMA? Let's skip logical fallacies because I am getting confused. I enjoy phrases like these:

This is crucial for my business:

Why? it doesn't take you too long to get that the person who wrote it is so desperate to tell you he was a "real" small entrepreneur or a "real" developer. A person who always needs to present himself as someone, as a real prophet for all the others who are in the same situation and his poor suffering customers, and he presents their cause.

Some competitors to Microsoft claim that Open XML causes inefficiency and has a negative impact on users, due to duplication and overlap with the existing ODF standard. As a developer of customer-oriented solutions, I am convinced that these critics are not justified: customers cannot suffer by having more choice, and governments and administrations should not get locked into one mandatory standard.
Technology neutrality is essential to encourage an open and competitive environment which is the oxygen for small businesses like mine.
This is essential for a small innovative company like mine to meet the requirements of the market a…

Who wrote it? Damir Tomicic is Managing Director of Axinom, a German SME specializing in the development of IT solutions, services and consulting. His blog presents him as Microsoft Regional director. Will he become the next "German" Mike Sax or the nouveau Simon Gentry?

Unsere Zielgruppe bleiben mittelständische und große Unternehmen…. Die Kernkompetenz von Axinom ist der Einsatz von Microsoft-Technologien und -Produkte und wir tun vieles dafür, dass es auch so bleibt. … Um dies zu ermöglichen arbeiten wir eng in Rahmen diverser Programme (TAP, Enterprise Go, etc.) mit den verschiedenen Microsoft-Produktgruppen zusammen und sind als „Microsoft Vendor“ in Deutschland, in EMEA und in USA zertifiziert und zugelassen.

Time for reflection

I found Tomicic's dictum on standardization insightful.

I am convinced that these critics are not justified: customers cannot suffer by having more choice

He really convinced me. What if standardization was a bad idea. Shouldn't we promote cultural diversity? Why should our customers suffer from ISO 26300?

and governments and administrations should not get locked into one mandatory standard.

What if governments got locked into ODF and couldn't enjoy the benefits of OOXML?

On top of it, Open XML offers a coherent alternative to the different ODF implementations which are .. often incompatible with each other.

You know, Open XML is coherent, ODF is incompatible.

As a member of the Voices for Innovation community, I believe that the innovation industry should be more active and vocal in shaping the future environment for innovators and innovation before ISO takes its decision. We have the responsibility to make our voice heard to decision makers and we can do it through concrete initiatives such as the Openxmlcommunity

I understand. The <no>OOXML campaign deceived me. How can I join his grassroot effort for Office Open XML? As an activist I have the responsibility to make my voice heard to decision makers. I want to join the global community of businesses and governments active in explaining the benefits of multiple document standards and in calling for the standardization of Open XML. After all, innovation is a matter for everyone. I won't forget to explain to ymy national delegation why I urgently need ISO standardization of OOXML.

Sign Microsoft's petition in favour of Office Open XML Standardization and boycott FFII's <no>OOXML petition!

Open XML warrants ratification as an ISO/IEC standard for the following key reasons:

* Open XML has been designed to be backwards compatible with billions of existing documents.
* Open XML is a comprehensive file format that provides platform independence, internationalization, and support for assistive technologies that help computer users with disabilities.
* Open XML enables integration with business data and information systems that manage business processes.
* Open XML meets a distinct set of user requirements not covered by existing standards.
* Open XML has been embraced by the technology industry and is being implemented in numerous products.
* Making Open XML an ISO/IEC standard will create business opportunities for thousands of companies and provide greater choice and flexibility to technology users, including consumers, businesses, governments, and organizations.

Worst Lobbying Award

• Winner 2005 - Simon Gentry's Campaign for Creativity in favour of EU softpatents
• Apply here for worst Lobbying Award 2007 - Will Microsoft succeed to get this year's prize? Voices for Innovation is a new campaign in favour of Office Open XML standardization.

Other stuff

• V4I: Please EU, stop fining us
• Foley:MS Voices for Innovation are speaking to me

I. Voices For Innovation Privacy Policy

The Voices for Innovation Web site is operated by APCO Worldwide Inc. (APCO) on behalf of Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft). APCO is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read carefully the Voices for Innovation Online Privacy Statement.

The Voices for Innovation Online Privacy Statement applies solely to data collected by APCO through the Voices for Innovation Web site. It does not apply to any other APCO Web site or to sites that the Voices for Innovation Web site links to and/or is linked to or to Web sites that have their own privacy statements.
….
Personal information that APCO collects on the Voices for Innovation Web site will be transferred to, and stored and processed in, the United States. By registering as a member, you give your unequivocal consent to any such transfer of your personal information outside of your own country. You understand that the laws in the United States may not offer the same level of privacy protection as in your country.

Except as described in this statement, APCO will not disclose your personal information to third parties. APCO will, however, share personal information with Microsoft Corporation. Subject to your consent, APCO may also share your personal information with other members of the Voices for Innovation. Indeed, in some cases it will be obvious that the information you provide is intended to be disclosed to all, or a selection of, the members of the Voices for Innovation.
…
APCO Worldwide Inc.
700 12th Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. , 20005
202-778-1000

According to http://www.apcoworldwide.com/ APCO is the PR Agency of the year 2006!?

Will they also receive this years Worst Lobbying Award 2007?

Will APCO be the new Hunzinger?

Can we make real money with stock options on APCO?

"In Germany, APCO provides advice to clients on political and regulatory issues, offering a full range of services to support clients' public affairs goals. Our team assists clients in overcoming political obstacles, putting an issue on the political agenda and communicating a position on an issue to opinion formers and decision makers. We also support clients in corporate positioning – developing, managing and protecting their reputations."

Learning curve ahead, APCO!

A closer look at the grassroots

Wisekey PR
http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=20060516170600NX886
German language press release
http://www.presseportal.de/story.htx?nr=900800&firmaid=55044

Voices for Innovation is a global community, supported by Microsoft, that works to ensure the awareness and participation of local entrepreneurs and innovators in important policy discussions around the world. The objective is to engage those influenced by the growth and progress of the industry and to brief policy makers on the importance of intellectual property protection, investment in research and development, innovation and growth, and consumer welfare. As a member of the Voices for Innovation community is the objective of WISeKey and WISeKey ELA (the EU based WISeKey operation company for Spain and Latino America) to play an important role in shaping the technology policy debate and the regulatory environment in which you and fellow entrepreneurs operate in the EU .
WISeKey partners can visit and join the Voices for Innovation website which will help to keep informed of developments at both the European and national level. It is the aspiration that the Voices for Innovation website will become a forum where we can share information about local developments, issues affecting our business, success stories, and events. As such, new interactive tools are in the process of being integrated to the Voices for Innovation website to help you make your voice heard. To ensure the continued success and relevance of the Voices for Innovation community, WISeKey recommends you to join Voices for Innovation today. https://www.voicesforinnovation.org/TakeAction/Join%20Now.aspx

http://www.wisekey.com/corporate/corporatedirectors.htm
Patrick De Smedt - Member of the Board and Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Committee
Patrick De Smedt is a Member of the board of Directors of WISeKey and Chairman of the Strategy Committee. Mr De Smedt received a Commercial Engineer degree from the University of Louvain, Belgium in 1977 where he is a Honorary Fellow. He joined WISeKey in 2007. Prior to being appointed Chairman of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Mr. De Smedt held diverse and important functions at Microsoft not least being the Vice President for Central, Southern Europe and Africa as well as Vice President responsible for Microsoft’s sales, marketing, partnerships and services towards enterprise customers in the EMEA region. Mr De Smedt established the Benelux subsidiaries of Microsoft in 1986. He joined Microsoft in 1983. Mr. De Smedt is also a Non-Executive Director of the Board of Telindus, Belgium and a Venture Partner at Big Bang Ventures, Belgium.