C++/CLI, like the XML Reference Schema, was submitted by Microsoft to Ecma for adoption as a standard and fast-tracking through ISO for global adoption. Last week, it hit a bump in the road.

An article in Vnunet.com seems to say that there's a rift between Sun and IBM at OpenOffice.org, and that Sun is fighting to hang on to the OpenOffice.org code. I asked Bob Sutor and Simon Phipps, and they both say, "no way."

Louis Gutierrez took over Peter Quinn's old job as Massachusetts State CIO yesterday. He also got a major vote of confidence from Computerworld Editor-in-Chief Don Tennant.

One of the most vocal opponents of the Massachusetts ODF policy has been Supervisor of Records Alan N. Cote. Last week, Alan suggested that we have a chat, and here's what he had to say.

Mitt Romney is betting that supporting ODF will prove to be a smart political move, as he grooms himself for a run for the presidency. It looks like that bet is paying off.

In an important new development, the administration of Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has not only appointed a permanent replacement to State CIO Peter Quinn, but also dedicated the press release announcing that appointment to reconfirming its steadfast commitment to the implementation of the OASIS OpenDocument Format.

It has been interesting observing how lobbying works at the state level as the ODF situation has developed here in Massachusetts. The types of antics engaged in by those who log in their expense vouchers on K Street normally seem far away from most state capitals, but I expect that's because the level of scrutiny is much lower in the provinces than inside the Beltway.

I've been gathering information from a variety of knowledgeable sources on the critical issues and milestones affecting the continuing implementation by the Massachusetts Information Technology Division (ITD) of its OpenDocument Format (ODF) policy. Here are those milestones that I'll be watching for, the state of play of each on as I understand it, and the approximate date to look for an announcement on each

Things were pretty quiet last week on the OpenDocument Format front last week, but this week began with a bang. Here's an update on the latest news.

Massachusetts appoints an acting successor to Peter Quinn, and says more concretely than ever "full speed ahead with ODF"