State, Microsoft may settle document-storage dispute - The Boston Globe

State, Microsoft may settle document-storage dispute - The Boston Globe "Thomas Trimarco, Massachusetts' secretary of administration and finance, said state officials may approve Microsoft Corp.'s new Open XML format as well the OpenDocument format already approved for reading and storing government documents if the company alters a patent license to address Massachusetts' concerns. Trimarco said he was encouraged by a conversation with Alan Yates, general manager of Microsoft Office, who said the company was altering the license to allow its software to be monitored by an international standards body and work in tandem with other software programs. State and Microsoft officials will continue their talks next week. Microsoft's Office software could be removed from state computers by January 2007 if its new format isn't approved."

(Full article)