Why OpenOffice.org Failed - and What to Do About It (ComputerWorld UK)

Glyn Moody has an article in ComputerWorld UK which is, in essence, a summary of a lengthy study in First Monday on why a Belgian agency chose not to switch to OpenOffice.org. "In other words, the principal reason OpenOffice.org was not adopted was Microsoft lock-in. The difficulty of converting macros, and the use of customised apps in Microsoft Access, were the two biggest obstacles... Open source effectively has one hand tied behind its back by the legacy code that its tightly wedded to Microsoft's products. The only way to create a level playing field is to insist on completely open standards, where Microsoft cannot simply fall back on the need for backward compatibility with its proprietary formats." On the other hand, forcing people to change might not be the best way to build good will.

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