[usconservative]

The only solution to lock-in, is to have a standard what is open to all developers and software makers, and that doesn't require patent fees to use.

That's what the Open Document Standard is for, which Microsoft now complies with.

Still, that really only applies to fonts and formatting. Microsoft Office's "extras" such as DDE, OLE, VBScript and other features which are commonly used by MS Office users / power users are what keeps people "locked into" Microsoft.

For basic word processing (document creation, editing, exchange) Libre Office or any of the other Open Source office solutions work just fine.

Given I work for a large international bank, getting them to switch to something other than MS Office has to be a VERY compelling financial story (as was the case with our Server environment moving all development to Java/Open Systems which has been hugely successful the past 10 years.)

[adorno]

Given I work for a large international bank, getting them to switch to something other than MS Office has to be a VERY compelling financial story

That's what the IT people at the City of Munich thought too, but, they were so wrong.

Still, the incentives to move away from Microsoft are there everywhere, but, it's very hard to calculate and plan such a move, for most companies.

Sometimes, looking at the savings AFTER the conversion is done, is more inviting than the cost and time for conversion itself, which then makes people and companies rethink their ideas about leaving Microsoft and Windows and Office.