The format is part of the new Office Open XML Formats. It's based on the XML (Extensible Markup Language) programming language.

You don't have to understand XML — that's behind the scenes. Just know that the new format means improvements to PowerPoint. Here are its chief benefits:

Safer presentations    Presentations containing unwanted code, macros, or controls are easier to identify and block.

Reduced file size    Presentations are automatically compressed.

Improved information security    Personal and business-sensitive information is easier to remove.

Improved damaged-file recovery    A file can still be opened even if part of it is damaged.

Easier integration    Presentation content can be shared with and opened in other programs.