ODF - OOXML - Special Symphony Edition

ODF is the backdrop for today's successful announcement from IBM's Software Group, which unveiled Symphony, a suite of free personal productivity tools based on ODF.  The document format was positioned as an enabler of a new generation of Web 2.0-capable tools that allow people to collaborate in a more intuitive way, and seamlessly funnel information to business applications, middleware and the Web.  

Nearly all of the stories (well over 100 in the U.S. alone) noted that this comes at a time when momentum is building for open standards, particularly ODF.  The articles noted that other vendors are introducing their own ODF-based software, and companies that are in favor of proprietary formats are encountering rejection from the regulatory, legal and technical communities.