One of the biggest opportunities for open source today first begins with open standards. OpenDocument format is an OASIS-developed, XML-based open standard for office files including text documents, spreadsheets and presentations. The standard is already supported by a number of programs including OpenOffice 2.0, StarOffice 8, KWord, and Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Widespread adoption of ODF will benefit users, developers, and especially government. Storing documents in ODF ensures that information is available from now and into the future, and not subject to the whims of a single vendor. The standard also increases innovation in the office application space by limiting the ability of vendors to lock in users with proprietary formats. This session will cover what it means to be an open standard, compared with other XML-based formats. It will also address the status of ODF around the world, highlighting the Massachusetts' policy as an example.