The Document Foundation joins the OASIS Consortium

LibreOffice Conference in Berlin will host a dedicated ODF PlugFest

Berlin, September 4, 2012 – The Document Foundation, the home of LibreOffice, has joined the Organisation for the Advancement of Standards in Information Society (OASIS). The international standards development consortium is the leader in many key digital standards, and one of the most respected names in the standards field.

The Document Foundation will primarily focus on the ODF Technical Committees, to represent the largest independent free software community focused on the development and the promotion of “the best free office suite” based on the Open Document Format. LibreOffice is available in over 100 native language versions, more than twice than any comparable software, and is therefore the most sophisticated, feature rich, complete and widespread ODF implementation worldwide.

“Open Standards create a level playing field for digital contents, and make innovation accessible”, explains Charles-H. Schulz, one of the members of The Document Foundation Board of Directors and a former director of OASIS. “The Document Foundation decision to join the OASIS Consortium strengthens the whole ODF ecosystem with the addition of the largest independent free software community focused on personal productivity and office suites, capable of reaching over 95% of the world’s population with the most accessible ODF implementation”.

“The Document Foundation has always been committed to Open Standards, which are a founding principle of the project”, says Olivier Hallot, an independent volunteer and a member of TDF Board of Directors. “Although the project was already represented at OASIS through several corporate and individual members, the Board of Directors has decided to step in to give voice to the end users and reduce the influence of corporate interests on the future of the Open Document Format”.

The Document Foundation will organize the second LibreOffice Conference in Berlin in mid October. The three day event, which is completely free, will include a dedicated ODF Plugfest, a vendor-neutral interoperability event gathering industry-wide experts of the OpenDocument Format (http://conference.libreoffice.org).

Donations are helping The Document Foundation in delivering a better free software, and in staying independent from corporate interests: http://donate.libreoffice.org.

About The Document Foundation (TDF)

The Document Foundation is an open, independent, self-governing, meritocratic organization, which builds on ten years of dedicated work by the OpenOffice.org Community. TDF was created in the belief that the culture born of an independent foundation brings out the best in corporate and volunteer contributors, and will deliver the best free office suite. TDF is open to any individual who agrees with its core values and contributes to its activities, and warmly welcomes corporate participation, e.g. by sponsoring individuals to work as equals alongside other contributors in the community. As of August 30, 2012, TDF has over 140 members and over 2,000 volunteers and contributors worldwide.

Media Contacts

Florian Effenberger (based near Munich, Germany, UTC+1)
Phone: +49 8341 99660880 – Mobile: +49 151 14424108
E-mail: floeff@documentfoundation.org – Skype: floeff
Charles H. Schulz (based in Paris, France, UTC+1)
Mobile: +33 6 98655424 – E-mail: charles.schulz@documentfoundation.org
Eliane Domingos de Sousa (based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, UTC-3)
E-mail: elianedomingos@documentfoundation.org – Skype: elianedomingos
Italo Vignoli (based in Milan, Italy, UTC+1)
Mobile: +39 348 5653829 – E-mail: italo.vignoli@documentfoundation.org
Skype: italovignoli – GTalk: italo.vignoli@gmail.com