Microsoft realizes that governments require choice, and we work with developers, partners, independent software vendors, and competitors so that our customers benefit from flexible and innovative solutions.

Neutral Government Software Procurement Policies Create Significant Opportunities in Innovation, Local Economic Growth, and Jobs

Choice in Government Software Procurement: A Winning Strategy (McLean Sieverding, Journal of Public Procurement; 2008)

Enabling Open Innovation and Interoperability: Recommendations for Policy-Makers (Nicos Tsilas, United Nations University, Macau; November, 2007)

When and How ICT Interoperability Drives Innovation (Harvard Berkman and St Gallen, 2007):
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Overview of interoperability in ICT, including definition, many ways it can be accomplished and role of government.

The Economic Impact of IT, Software, and the Microsoft Ecosystem on the Global Economy (IDC, 2007):
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Overview of the Global Economic Footprint of Microsoft and the Microsoft Business Model.

The Government at the Standards Bazaar (Stacy Baird, Stanford Law and Policy Review, 2007):
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Academic paper providing an overview and model for government's role in standard both as purchaser of IT and policymaker.

What’s Up, .DOC? ODF, OOXML, and the Revolutionary Implications of XML in Productivity Applications (The Burton Group, 2008)
Independent analyst overview and comparison of ODF, Open XML, and related World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards, and projected implications for future productivity applications.

The Power of Choice: Massachusetts Wisely Embraces Multiple Document Format Standards To Drive Greater Competition and Innovation (The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, Buono & Sieverding; February, 2008)