The National Standards Authority of Ireland has provided a "qualified" approval to a worldwide vote on whether the format used for Microsoft Office files should be accepted as an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standard.
Voting closed yesterday with the NSAI seeking 12 changes that will go forward for consideration at a meeting next February.
If these are implemented, Ireland would then give full approval to Microsoft's application.
ISO approval would encourage wider adoption of the Microsoft Open XML format by public sector organisations.
Maurice Buckley, the NSAI's chief executive, declined to specify the changes being sought by Ireland but said they were of a "minor nature".
Ireland is one of 157 countries to vote on the matter, with each state having the same voting rights.
Microsoft says the new Open XML format is open to everyone, and doesn't pose the kind of competition concerns raised by older Office file formats.
Opponents say Open XML is a format that is nominally open, but which is actually so complex and so loaded with Microsoft-specific features that no one but Microsoft can use it fully.
