I’m here in Geneva at the Open Forum Europe conference, listening to discussions about the problem with standards bodies today. More specifically, listening to IBM’s take on the problem with any standards body that would approve Open XML (like ECMA).

Unlike many corporate sponsored events that make a passing attempt at having input from all sides, the Open Forum Europe event is unabashedly attempting to convince delegates to a different standards meeting (ISO) that they should not vote to support the current ECMA sponsored de facto standard, Open XML. While no one at the conference has attacked OpenXML by name, the presentations feel like one of those moments in Harry Potter where all the characters keep referring to the villain Voldemort as “you know who.”



Though from ISO’s perspective the IBM/Open Forum Europe conference has nothing to do with the vote, IBM rented space in the same conference center as the ISO meeting, has an open letter to participants, has moved the keynote speech in order to ‘un-conflict’ it with the ISO reception, and finally, has stickers around that say “Have you read all 6,000 pages?” As the Washington Post put it “The shrewd timing is clearly aimed at sinking

[Open XML].”



IBM VP Dr. Bob Sutor opened up the lobbying effort by saying that he’d be “presenting the same material several times today in order to make sure ISO representatives had a chance to hear it.” And launched into a pretty detailed assault on the standards system as we know it today. The panel list is a rotating cast of avowed Open XML opponents, with a few Open Source folks thrown in for good measure. Not one representative from Microsoft, Apple, Palm or Datawatch, or anyone else who might have a slightly different view on ECMA and Open XML.



Unfortunately for IBM, the in-your-face lobbying seems to be making ISO and the delegates a little uncomfortable. And some standards folks have been unhappy with the characterization of OpenXML as non-free. Right now, I think delegates feel like IBM is standing in front of the ballot box, lobbying whilst the voter tries to pull the lever.



Given how much of the talk revolves around the lack of transparency and the needless cost of meetings in Geneva, I can’t help but think that IBM might be overreaching with this lobbying effort.

l love the honesty of IBM to finally lobby under their own name, but I’m just not sure the tactics of renting space in front of the ballot box is the right way to do it…