The head winds pushing against Open Office XML have lifted. I heard from several sources over the weekend that OOXML is all but certain to receive enough votes to fast-track International Organization for Standardization standards ratification. Microsoft failed to muster the votes during the first round of voting, but apparently has them now.

I'm surprised, and yet not, by the turn of events. Many ISO participants demanded significant OOXML changes or additional information. Fast-track isn't the final process, but OOXML ratification wouldn't have gone much further without it. Microsoft exerted great will to get the votes (tactics aren't the topic of this post).

Something startling happened between the two votes: Microsoft made a promise during the latter stages of the voting process by releasing, in February, its so-called "Interoperability Principles." In my analysis for the reasons behind the principles, I pegged OOXML-vote influence as one of several explanations for the timing. Microsoft made a pledge, now I'm issuing a call to keep it.

Read the rest of this article on eWEEK.com.