I see ISO has issued a press release confirming Open XML as an ISO standard:

The two ISO and IEC technical boards have given the go-ahead to publish ISO/IEC DIS 29500, Information technology Office Open XML formats, as an ISO/IEC International Standard after appeals by four national standards bodies against the approval of the document failed to garner sufficient support.

Their full press release is online here. Users now have what they have long asked for: independent ownership and maintenance of these important document formats.

Technorati tags: XML standards ISO Open XML ODF interoperability Microsoft technology policy