ODF - OpenDocument Format OASIS International Standard (ISO/IEC 26300), Swedish Standard (SS-ISO/IEC 26300:2008):

* XML-based open standard concerning file formats for office documents such as spreadsheets, text documents and presentations.
* ODF format is used for structured and formatted office document that are still in process (editable).
* ODF is designed to be completely vendor, platform and application neutral.
* Avoids vendor lock-in situations.

For more information on the importance of open document formats for office software, please consult:
- Wikipedia on File format
- OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument)
- Wikipedia on Open format
- Wikipedia on applications supporting OpenDocument Format (ODF) fully or partially
- OpenDocument Format.org
- openformats.org
- ODF Alliance
- OpenDocument XML.org

See also OpenDocument software for software supporting ODF.

ODF Verison 1.2 approved in September 2011 as standard format for office documents by
OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards)

File Name Extensions
File name extensions are used to specify the file format for a particular document.
Commonly used file name extensions for proprietary document formats are .doc/.docx, .ptt/.pttx, and .xls/.xlsx .
The corresponding file name extensions for ODF documents are:

• .odt - Text


• .ods - Spreadsheet


• .odp - Presentation


• .odg - Graphic


• .odb - Database


• .odf - Formula (Math)

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PDF/A-1 - Portable Document Format Standard (ISO 19005-1), Swedish Standard (SS-ISO 19005-1:2005):

* File format for representation av electronic dokuments.
* PDF/A-1 is used as preservation format when the editing phase of the document is finished.
   PDF/A-1 combines the general features of the PDF format with the properties required for long-term archiving of documents.
* Preserves documents visual appearance over time, independent of the tools and systems used for creating, storing or rendering the files.

For more information, please consult:
- Wikipedia on PDF/A

File Name Extensions
File name extensions are used to specify the file format for a particular document.
File name extension for PDF/A-1 document is:

• .pdf

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An open document standard is characterized by (at least) the following characteristics:

• Developed, maintained and controlled by an open standards organization
  An organization whose development and control methodology is well defined, interaction-oriented, democratic and inclusive.


• Published without any restrictions or requirements for royalties


• Freely available to be applied and implemented by anyone


• Fully implementerad


• Reference implementations available from multiple independent providers and on several different platforms (computer systems)
  without requiring any regard to intellectual property rights (Intellectual Property / IP)
  to the technologies required to undertake the implementation.

Benefits of Open Standards:

• Ownership over Their own Information
  Document's content/information is accessible, readable, editable and storable
  to the user regardless of vendor, technology/computer platform and application
  that was used when it was created and saved/stored.
  The information thus belongs to the user and no longer the provider of the office document solution/software.


• Access to Information
  An open standard based on an open specification ensures that users always
  (on ​​your own or through external assistance) has access to the document's information.


• Interoperability
  The content/information can be processed without the limitations of other applications in other environments.


• Competition
  Increased vendor competition due to open standards enables many suppliers
  to offer solutions with different features and different prices.


• Freedom of Choice
  Increased ability to select the solution and vendor that best fits their organization's performance.


• Lower Costs
  Open and free competition between suppliers of applications using the open standard
  in their products and solutions means the user may not be forced to accept a certain supplier
  bid/application to access user's own information.


• Innovation
  The open standard is a base/platform that all businesses and suppliers
  can use to develop and deploy new applications and services.


• Preservation of Cultural Heritage
  Enables and ensures that important information is accessible and readable long into the future and for future generations.

Vendor specific document formats does not allow above advantages.