If Open XML is approved by Ecma later this year, Microsoft will ask the body to submit it to the ISO for approval.

But critics such as Marino have said that Open XML's specifications have not been finalized, and that Microsoft retains too much control for its format to be considered open.

Marcich said that with the ISO's approval of ODF, groups such as the ODF Alliance will now turn towards convincing governments to adopt ODF or mandate its usage.

Massachusetts has been the highest-profile adopter of ODF, with former CIO Peter Quinn mandating its implementation by Jan. 1. Current CIO Louis Gutierrez told Computerworld in April that he does not foresee wide-scale use of ODF by state workers by that time, though he plans to give an update by mid-year on the state's progress.