A couple weeks ago I blogged about the XML patent infringement that Microsoft had to deal with. As mentioned in that post, they’ve released new code that removes some of the custom XML functionality that was built into the Office 2007 system, and brings them into patent compliance.
We’ve just heard that there is at least one vendor whose product is now basically non-functional due to the code change. This sort of problem can result in products needing to be completely re-engineered to work with the new XML limitations.
Organizations who have already implemented or are looking to implement Office 2007 should reach out to any third-party vendor who would be integrating with the Office 2007 XML format to determine compatibility with the new rules. In addition, any custom code that has already been written would need to be tested and possibly re-written if any issues come up.
Kraft Kennedy has worked with numerous third-party vendors that integrate with Office 2007. If you find yourself in a tough spot due to this issue, let us know and we can help walk you through the process of finding the right solution.