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Just Wednesday, Microsoft announced a site set up exclusively for tech startups.  No, working with startups isn’t a new concept for Microsoft.  But often, the programs weren’t very well known, and the scope was rather narrow.  This latest launch, BizSpark, is a different story. 

First off, when joining, you get the what you might expect—Microsoft products.  Of course, there are the obvious Office, Visual Studio, Sharepoint, as well as both Windows and SQL Server.  But that isn’t all.  BizSpark works with over 300 Network Partners who can offer the program right to startups.  The really big bonus?  There is absolutely no upfront cost to join.  You do however, have to pay $100 when you leave the program.

Learn more about what you can do with Microsoft’s help after the break.

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The good news:  MIcrosoft has announced its flagship Office productivity software will gain support for more open formats, including PDF v1.5, PDF/A (the ISO standard for archival PDFs), and ODF v1.1. 

The bad news: Users will have to wait until 2009 and Service Pack 2 to get it.

In a press release, MS detailed the intention to increase the interoperability of Office 2007, and reaffirmed the commitment to delivering ODF support for older versions of Office through support of the OpenXML-ODF open source translator project.  This move comes after Microsoft’s recent success in establishing its own Open Office XML (OOXML) as an ISO standard, and provides significant backing to Microsoft’s pledged support of interoperability.  The media spin that Microsoft is using goes something like this: Step 1: Innovate.  Step 2: Create partner opportunities.  Step 3: Profit.  But is this really a move for greater compatibility, or simply a move to maintain dominance?

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