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OpenDocument adoption

From Alfawiki

The article below outlines how various governments and institutions globally are assessing the implementation of OpenDocument, an open document file format designed for saving and sharing editable office documents.

Overview

The OpenDocument format (ODF) gained recognition as a standard by OASIS in May 2005 and subsequently by the ISO in November 2006, designated as ISO/IEC 26300:2006.

In contrast, Microsoft’s rival format, Office Open XML (OOXML), was approved by Ecma International in December 2006 and later published as ISO/IEC 29500:2008 in November 2008.

National standards authorities in countries such as Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Hungary, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, South Africa, and Sweden have formally endorsed ODF.

NATO requires ODF compliance among its 28 member nations, which includes countries like the USA, UK, Germany, and Italy.

South Africa

On October 23, 2007, the Department of Public Service and Administration in South Africa designated ODF as the official standard for "working office document formats" within government IT systems. Permitted alternative formats include UTF-8/ASCII text and CSV.

From April 2008 onwards, ODF was established as a national standard in South Africa under the reference "SANS 26300:2008/ISO/IEC 26300:2006." By September 2008, all governmental departments were expected to be capable of both reading and creating ODF files. In 2009, ODF was adopted as the default document format across South African government agencies.

Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government annually publishes an Interoperability Framework that recommends preferred file formats for various applications. The most recent edition endorses Microsoft Office '97 or OpenOffice.org version 2.0 (which is based on OpenDocument 1.0) for collaborative editing of text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

India

Chandershekhar, secretary of India’s Ministry of Information and Technology, announced the creation of a National ODF alliance positioning India prominently within the global ODF initiative. He underscored the transformative potential of eGovernance and stressed the significance of open standards to enable interoperable systems free from proprietary constraints. He described ODF as a pivotal technological breakthrough facilitating broader IT accessibility throughout India.

The Allahabad High Court has officially adopted the OpenDocument format for its documentation standards.

Assam

Government bodies in Assam have been directed to implement ODF and migrate towards open-source operating systems, marking a strategic move to adopt open standards and software within public sector IT environments.

Kerala

In 2007, Kerala introduced an Information Technology Policy aimed at evolving the state into a knowledge-based society. This policy mandated the use of open standards such as ODF in e-governance initiatives to avoid vendor dependency.

Japan

On June 29, 2007, Japan’s government unveiled an interoperability framework that prioritizes procurement of products compliant with open standards including ODF. By July 2, officials affirmed their openness to alternative document formats like Office Open XML, which is recognized by bodies such as Ecma International and ISO. The emphasis lies on openness of format as a crucial criterion in selecting software for governmental use.

Government ministries and agencies are required to:

  • Solicit bids from vendors supporting internationally recognized open standards
  • Favor and utilize open formats to ensure seamless information exchange across ministries

Moreover, Japan’s Diet incorporated an incentive for open standards software within its Special Taxation Measures legislation. This provision offers tax benefits to companies purchasing software adhering to open standards. The incentive was effective from April 2008 through March 2011.

Malaysia

In August 2007, Malaysia's government revealed its intention to implement open standards along with the Open Document Format (ODF) throughout the public sector. The Malaysian Administration Modernization and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) initiated a nine-month investigation to assess the adoption of open standards. Beginning in April 2008, ODF became compulsory for use within public institutions.

South Korea

South Korea incorporated OpenDocument into its Korean Industrial Standards KS X ISO/IEC 26300 in 2007. Despite this, official documents are still primarily produced using the proprietary .hwp format, with no legal requirements established to enforce OpenDocument usage since that time.

Taiwan

In 2009, Taiwan officially recognized ODF as the national standard. Extensive transitions to ODF and LibreOffice started in 2014, motivated by enhanced software choice freedoms.

Europe

Starting around 2003, the European Commission began investigating XML-based document formats, commissioning analyses such as the "Valoris Report." In 2004, the Telematics between Administrations Committee (TAC) evaluated presentations from both OpenOffice and Microsoft regarding their respective XML formats.

By May 2004, TAC advised that public administrations should prevent vendor lock-in by selecting document formats that support cross-platform compatibility and foster fair competition. The main recommendations included:

  • Promoting broader industry involvement in standardizing the OASIS Open Document Format;
  • Encouraging Microsoft to publicly commit to equitable access for upcoming WordML versions and consider submitting them as international standards;
  • Supporting development of filters that allow interoperability between WordML and ODF across different software;
  • Recommending that public authorities provide documents in multiple formats or, if limited to one, choose a format agreed upon by industry consensus.

No formal endorsement of any specific format was issued.

Belgium

On June 23, 2006, Belgium’s federal Council of Ministers adopted a memorandum supporting OpenDocument as the official standard for exchanging office files—including text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations—within federal civil service operations. Since September 2007, all federal departments have been mandated to accept and process OpenDocument files.

Croatia

Government bodies are required to ensure that all online forms are accessible through free software applications. Acceptable file formats include ODF, PDF, and HTML.

Denmark

The Danish Parliament decreed that from April 1, 2011, state authorities must utilize ODF. Until that date, government agencies must accept documents in both ODF and OOXML from citizens, businesses, and other governmental entities. However, implementation may be postponed if it results in extra costs, operational difficulties, or IT security risks.

Finland

Following comprehensive evaluation, Finland’s Ministry of Justice adopted OpenOffice.org along with the OpenDocument format as its preferred document standard in early 2007. Other ministries may adopt these standards subsequently.

France

Within the framework of the French government's general interoperability guidelines (RGI), ODF is designated as the preferred format for office documents across French public administrations, while OOXML is permitted solely for "information exchange purposes involving tables."

Public agencies must:

  • Accept document submissions in XML-based formats such as ODF and OOXML;
  • Utilize PDF/A for long-term preservation of text files.

They are also encouraged to:

  • Deploy OpenOffice.org, an open-source productivity suite based on ODF;
  • Create text documents, spreadsheets, and presentations using ODF.

Transitioning to productivity suites with formats other than ODF is prohibited.

Germany

Numerous Bundesländer, along with various state and governmental agencies and municipalities, extensively employ software compatible with ODF, such as LibreOffice and OpenOffice.org.

Federal

In December 2008, the Federal Government's IT Board resolved to implement the ODF format within federal administration to improve IT security and facilitate interoperability.

The Federal Foreign Office completed a full transition to ODF across its 250 diplomatic missions worldwide, achieving IT cost reductions to one-third of those observed in other ministries. The Foreign Minister emphasized ODF as an open, ISO-certified format that promotes international knowledge sharing.

The Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik) utilizes StarOffice with ODF on all centrally managed computers.

Since September 2007, communications with the Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Patent Court have been conducted using ODF. This practice also extends to other supreme courts including the Bundesarbeitsgericht, Bundessozialgericht, and courts located in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Saxony.

By 2010, federal entities were required under Germany’s Standards and Architectures for eGovernment Applications 4.0 (SAGA 4.0) to accept, process, send, and edit documents in ODF format. SAGA 4.0 endorses ODF for editable text files as part of a collaborative standardization effort.

Bundesländer

The City of Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg operates with OpenOffice.org and adheres to OpenDocument standards.

Munich, located in Bavaria, transitioned 14,000 workstations to OpenOffice.org and the OpenDocument format within its broader LiMux initiative aimed at adopting Linux.

Italy

On January 26, 2007, the Italian standardization authority UNI formally adopted ISO/IEC 26300 (ODF 1.0).

The region of Umbria declared its switch to LibreOffice along with the OpenDocument format.

In 2015, the Italian Ministry of Defence established ODF as its standard and rolled out LibreOffice across approximately 150,000 computers.

Netherlands

Beginning in early 2009, all Dutch governmental bodies have been required to use open source software and the ODF format as their default for reading, publishing, and exchanging information. Any deviations must be specifically justified.

Norway

In December 2007, Norway’s Ministry of Government Administration and Reform mandated that from 2009 onward, documents intended for editing after download—such as user-fillable web forms—must utilize ODF (ISO/IEC 26300). Starting in 2010, all government agencies were obligated to exchange documents via email with users exclusively in PDF or ODF formats.

Portugal

In 2008, the Portuguese Parliament reviewed a proposal by the PCP party aiming to enforce open standard formats including ODF throughout public administration. On June 21, 2011, legislation concerning Open Standards was passed, mandating ODF version 1.1 compliance by July 2014. In March 2012, the Câmara Municipal de Vieira do Minho announced its adoption of LibreOffice, exemplifying increasing use at local government levels.

Romania

Although discussions about implementing Free Software and Open Standards within Romanian public administration have taken place, no formal law mandating Open Standards such as OpenDocument has been enacted. In 2009, Minister Gabriel Sandu recognized the difficulty of immediately discontinuing Microsoft licenses, despite objections from the Free Software community and domestic IT companies. Nonetheless, OpenDocument formats and compatible applications are extensively utilized by Romanian governmental bodies, courts, insurance firms, accountants, and engineering professionals, reflecting substantial adoption across both private and public sectors.

Russia

On December 21, 2010, the Russian Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology officially adopted ISO/IEC 26300 as the national standard GOST R ISO/IEC 26300-2010 (ГОСТ Р ИСО/МЭК 26300-2010).

Serbia

The Serbian government mandates the use of ISO 19005 (PDF/A) for official electronic documentation. For drafts, proposals, and templates, acceptable formats include ISO 26300 (OpenDocument) version 1.0 or ISO 29500 (Office Open XML). When other specialized formats are employed, all involved parties must consent to ensure technical interoperability.

Slovakia

Since August 2006, Slovak public institutions have been required to utilize the ODF format for electronic communication and document publication. Starting in October 2008, support for ODF 1.0 text documents became mandatory, with compatibility extended to ODF version 1.2 as of July 2010. Additionally, since March 2009, documents in ODF 1.0 format have been authorized for use with both electronic and qualified electronic signatures.

Andalusia

Public agencies are obligated to employ open standards when exchanging documents with citizens, NGOs, and other governmental entities. The accepted formats include:

  • ODF
  • PDF/PDF/A
  • HTML/XHTML
  • ASCII/UNICODE
  • RTF (permitted)

Extremadura

Government bodies must generate and store all exchanged documents in editable ODF or static PDF/A formats. This policy supports the region’s comprehensive shift towards Linux systems and OpenDocument standards.

Switzerland

For document exchanges involving citizens or other government agencies, Swiss authorities are required to use the following formats:

  • PDF/A (“strongly recommended”)
  • PDF/X (“recommended”)
  • ODF (“recommended”)
  • OOXML (“recommended”)

Sweden

In August 2008, Sweden adopted ODF 1.0 as a national standard under the designation SS-ISO/IEC 26300:2008; however, this adoption was not accompanied by an official announcement.

Turkey

Since 2008, the Turkish Ministry of Development has strongly advocated for open standards in office document creation and exchange. According to its "Interoperability Report," all government institutions must produce and archive documents exchanged with other organizations or citizens using either ODF or PDF formats.

United Kingdom

The UK government’s “Open Source, Open Standards and Re–Use: Government Action Plan” requires adherence to open standards wherever practicable, endorsing ODF 1.0 (ISO/IEC 26300:2006) for document interchange.

BECTA (British Education Communication Technology Agency), responsible for IT policy in UK schools, issued a 2005 infrastructure guideline recommending OpenDocument and similar formats. It stresses that office software should save files in widely accepted formats to avoid vendor lock-in and foster a competitive market among software providers serving educational ICT needs.

In July 2014, the UK Government officially adopted OpenDocument as the standard for official document exchange, reaffirming its dedication to open standards.

Bristol City Council

In 2005, Bristol City Council implemented the StarOffice suite and adopted the OpenDocument format on 5,500 desktops; however, approximately four years later, the council reverted to using Microsoft Office.

Argentina

In September 2007, the government of the Misiones province mandated the exclusive use of the ODF format for all administrative bodies within its jurisdiction.

Brazil

Brazil was the pioneer in South America to officially promote OpenDocument through the 2007 "e-Ping Interoperability Framework." The third version of this framework prioritized open standards and free software solutions, permitting proprietary formats only during a transitional phase.

Since April 2008, ODF has been established as a national standard in Brazil (NBRISO/IEC26300). By 2010, federal public administration formally prohibited proprietary document formats, although full compliance by some agencies remains pending.

Moreover, numerous municipalities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations have endorsed the Brasília Protocol to formalize their commitment to adopting OpenDocument standards.

Paraná

State-owned enterprises and government departments in Paraná are obligated to utilize ODF for generating, storing, and presenting all electronic documents.

Uruguay

Since June 2008, Uruguay's Agency for the Development of Government Electronic Management recommends ODF or PDF for official documents: editable drafts should be in ODF format, while finalized versions are to be saved as PDFs.

Venezuela

All federal institutions in Venezuela are required to employ ODF 1.0 (ISO/IEC 26300) for documents that need editing and PDF format for documents that are finalized and non-editable.

Canada

No specific file format mandates exist within Canadian governments; Microsoft Office products continue to be widely utilized at all levels of government.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to officially adopt OpenDocument formats (ODF) for public records in 2005, explicitly rejecting Microsoft's Office Open XML (ISO/IEC 29500:2008). This decision came after a comprehensive two-year review involving vendors, technical experts, and pilot projects in towns such as Saugus and Billerica. At that time, Microsoft Office held nearly exclusive market share among state employees but lacked ODF support until Office 2007 Service Pack 2. Microsoft suggested that future versions might not support ODF; failure to comply with this standard could exclude them from state contracts. Industry analysts expected Microsoft would eventually support ODF, which was later confirmed in July 2006 when plans for an ODF plugin were announced.

The policy generated diverse responses: companies like Adobe, Corel, IBM, and Sun Microsystems endorsed it, whereas Microsoft voiced criticism. Opposition also arose from groups such as Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), which alleged favoritism toward open-source software despite both proprietary and open-source applications supporting ODF. CAGW’s connections with Microsoft raised questions about its neutrality. Some political leaders—including State Senator Marc R. Pacheco and Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin—raised procedural objections regarding how the policy was adopted but did not prevent its execution.

By 2007, Massachusetts revised its technical standards to incorporate Office Open XML alongside ODF, adopting a more inclusive stance on document format policies.

References

Official materials from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

(To access these documents in HTML format, visit mass.gov and search for "etrm")

Additional US states and organizations

In November 2005, James Gallt from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers highlighted multiple state agencies investigating the adoption of OpenDocument.

By April 2006, Minnesota introduced legislation aimed at requiring open data formats for government agencies, with OpenDocument anticipated to be a principal standard.

Between late 2007 and early 2008, New York State issued a Request for Comment to gather public feedback on policies concerning electronic records.

References

Australia

On March 31, 2006, the National Archives of Australia designated OpenDocument as their preferred document format to ensure cross-platform compatibility.

Other

According to the OASIS OpenDocument datasheet, several international governmental institutions—such as Singapore’s Ministry of Defence, France’s Ministries of Finance and Economy, Brazil’s Ministry of Health, the city of Munich in Germany, Bristol City Council in the UK, and Vienna city in Austria—have integrated applications that support OpenDocument.

See also

References

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