UK Government to implement open document format across all departments

[JJonas]

Is this the end of Microsoft Office in the UK government? | ITProPortal.com

 

The UK government has formally announced that all government departments are to use the open document format [ODF] for documents immediately in a move that is part of the government’s total savings target of £1.2 billion.

 

 

time to get up to speed on Libre office?

[localzuk]

I doubt it to be honest.

[unixman_again]

Me too, I think they will just use a GP setting to set the default doc type M$ Office saves as to ODF.

[GREED]

Good luck getting schools staff to adopt that change...

[sonofsanta]

Is this all that's come of their grand promise to implement open source software throughout and break down the hegemony of big government suppliers? It's taken four years to manage this?

[GREED]

Is this all that's come of their grand promise to implement open source software throughout and break down the hegemony of big government suppliers? It's taken four years to manage this?

 

Tax payers money hard at work... can you feeeeeel the money oozing

[FN-GM]

With EEES it will end up costing more money to buy licences without Microsoft Office.

[john]

Good luck getting schools staff to adopt that change...

 

and third party firms that expect to find MS Office present or it won't work at all...

[Marshall_IT]

Don't forget all the training on the new office products for staff...

[danbuntu]

This isn't just about staff with in the government. It's about all us taxpayers.

They won't be sending out documents that can only be edited with MS office, they will work in any word processor, cloud based or otherwise. So everyone saves and is given freedom of choice.

[Martin]

Good point

 

I still can't read/edit the new .docx and similar Microsoft Office documents on my home PC because i am still running an old version that is perfectly adequate for me to create letters and the like. I am not going to fork out many, many tens of pounds for the privilege either!

 

mb

[Devontechie]

Good point

 

I still can't read/edit the new .docx and similar Microsoft Office documents on my home PC because i am still running an old version that is perfectly adequate for me to create letters and the like. I am not going to fork out many, many tens of pounds for the privilege either!

 

mb

@Martin there is a compatibility pack that will let old versions of word open docx files.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=3

[elsiegee40]

@Martin there is a compatibility pack that will let old versions of word open docx files.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=3

 

And more importantly @Martin ... it is FREE!