IBM will in essence be offering a productivity suite within Notes, but Big Blue is not going into the desktop applications business, according to Wohl.

Instead, IBM is allowing productivity applications to be offered as a Web service in building composite applications.

"If you're building a benefits applications online, you might need a word processing editor right inside the application. With ODF you can pull the editor service into the application," Wohl said.

An IBM spokesperson said composite applications will extend the value of IBM middleware from the server to the desktop.

Local and state governments as well as the EU have expressed interest in ODF as a standard document format, yet it remains to be seen if it will be adopted by enterprise-level public and private companies.