US software giant Microsoft has won recognition for its key Office software package format as an international standard, the body charged with regulating such matters said on Wednesday.

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) said in a  statement that a vote of its national member bodies had reached the required 75 percent threshold to approve Microsoft’s bid.
Some 14 percent were against recognition, down from 26 percent in a September 2007 vote which accordingly went against Microsoft at that time.
“This outcome is a clear win for the customers, technology providers and governments that want to choose the format that best meets their needs and have a voice in the evolution of this widely adopted standard,” said Tom Robertson, general manager of Interoperability and Standards at Microsoft Corp.