IBM early next year will step up to the plate with an Open Document Format-based offering to join other ODF-supporting offerings from Sun Microsystems and OpenOffice.org.

Big Blue on Monday announced support for the ODF standard in an upcoming release of its Workplace Managed Client application.

The productivity tools in Version 2.6 of the Workplace Managed Client, due for release in early 2006, will include support for the ability to import, export, and rewrite files saved in Version 1.0 of the ODF standard. The Workplace productivity editor tools include word processing, presentation graphics, and spreadsheets. IBM Workplace Managed Client also supports Microsoft Office file formats.

ODF 1.0, recently ratified by OASIS, is an XML-based specification for storing and exchanging office documents.

Although the Microsoft Office productivity suite holds a commanding lead in worldwide market share, emerging economies such as China, Brazil, and India, and governments that have welcomed open standards such as the state of Massachusetts, are threatening to shift that balance.