Microsoft is now offering a royalty-free licensing program for the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas and accompanying documentation. The Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas enable organizations of all sizes to use industry-standard XML technology in managing spreadsheets, documents, and forms. The licensing program is designed to promote the use and benefits of XML technologies, as well as encourage broader industry adoption of these benefits.

The schemas include SpreadsheetML (the schema for Microsoft Office Excel 2003); FormTemplate Schemas (the schema for Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003); and WordprocessingML (the schema for Microsoft Office Word 2003).

XML is rapidly becoming a key software technology for broad corporate, IT, personal, and government use. XML enables a greater degree of data interoperability among disparate applications, Web services, and data stores compared to older technologies designed to address this issue. Word 2003, Excel 2003, and InfoPath 2003 use schemas that describe how information is stored when files are saved as XML.

By licensing these schemas, Microsoft builds on two very important commitments.

1. Promoting the development of XML as the next-generation technology for integrating applications, services, and data sources for the benefit of the entire IT industry.
2. Helping governments develop strong, sustainable IT infrastructures that deliver ease-of-use value through innovative technology and a clear roadmap for future development.

The Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas are made available under a royalty-free license that is openly offered and available for broad industry use. This promotes easy access and use of the technology. The license is based on similar technology licenses made available through various standards efforts. Microsoft is excited about the opportunity for public and industry benefit through the use of these technologies and wants to encourage their use.

Government support

Making available the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas has received support from governments around the world, such as the Danish government. They have taken a leading role in embracing forward-thinking IT policies and developments that deliver real-world value for its citizens.

The Danish Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation's ambitious InfoStructureBase project seeks to encourage exchange of information across the Danish Public Sector by creating a repository of XML schemas. Using the royalty-free license of the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas, the Danish government is better realizing its objective of promoting data exchange and interoperability.

Similarly, the Finnish Ministry of Finance has supported the availability of the Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas. "The licensing of the Microsoft Office 2003 XML Reference Schemas is a positive step that promises to improve data interoperability and the provision of useful e-Government services," said Arja Terho, Ministry of Finance, Finland.