The OpenOffice.org community – responsible for the free software alternative to Microsoft Office – has welcomed IBM as a community member. IBM will be making initial code contributions that it has been developing as part of its Lotus Notes product, including accessibility enhancements, and will be making ongoing contributions to the feature richness and code quality of OpenOffice.org. Besides working with the community on the free productivity suite’s software, IBM will also leverage OpenOffice.org technology in its products.

“We welcome IBM’s contributions to further enhancing the OpenOffice.org product,” said John McCreesh, OpenOffice.org marketing project lead. “But equally important is IBM’s future commitment to package and distribute new works that leverage OpenOffice.org technology supporting the ISO OpenDocument Format standard. ODF is a once in a generation opportunity for the IT industry to unify round a standard, and deliver lasting benefit to all users of desktop technology.”

“IBM is very pleased to be joining the OpenOffice.org community. We are very optimistic that IBM's contribution of technology and engineering resources will provide tangible benefits to the community membership and to users of OpenOffice.org technology around the world,” said Mike Rhodin, general manager of IBM’s Lotus division. “We’re particularly pleased to be teaming with the community to accelerate the rate of innovation in the office productivity marketplace. We believe that this relationship will improve our ability to deliver innovative value to users of IBM products and services.”

Others involved in the project or distributing the code were equally enthusiastic about IBM’s step.

IBM, a key supporter of industry standards such as AJAX, is a “Platinum Sponsor” of AJAXWorld Conference & Expo 2007 West, the biggest ever AJAXWorld event, being held September 23-26 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. There are ten tracks, 120+ sessions and presentations, and a welter of special events on the Expo floor.

Click Here - For Discounted Registration
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The world’s leading Rich Internet Applications & Web 2.0 event is expected to attract more than 1,000 i-technology developers. AJAXWorld grew from a single track, one-day seminar, less than a year ago, into a four-day international conference & expo with more than 150 sessions delivered in ten simultaneous tracks, by more than 150 faculty members.

Track 01: Rich Internet Applications
Track 02: Web 2.0 Enterprise Mashups
Track 03: Enterprise AJAX
Track 04: RIA Frameworks & Toolkits
Track 05: Security in RIA Applications
Track 06: Hot Topics
Track 07: iPhone AJAX Applications
Track 08: Advanced AJAX
Track 09: Platform Choices / Real-World AJAX
Track 10: OpenLaszlo Diamond Track

The conference now includes the world famous AJAXWorld University's AJAX Developer Bootcamp, OpenLaszlo Track and Adobe Flex 3 Developer Bootcamp. This year’s AJAXWorld Expo Floor is expected to display bleeding edge RIA technologies from more than 75 leading AJAX vendors.

AJAXWorld 2007 East Conference & Expo Sponsored by the World's Top  Web 2.0 and RIA Technology Leaders!
AJAXWorld Conference & Expo 2007 East sponsors and exhibitors included: Laszlo Systems (Diamond Sponsor), JackBe (Platinum Sponsor), Adobe (Platinum Sponsor), Cynergy (Platinum Sponsor), Backbase (Gold Sponsor) Google (Gold Sponsor), Nexaweb (Gold Sponsor), ICEsoft (Gold Sponsor), Oracle (Gold Sponsor), Helmi Technologies (Gold Sponsor), JetBrains (Gold Sponsor), TIBCO (Gold Sponsor), Kapow Technologies (Gold Sponsor), Sun Microsystems (Silver Sponsor), Parasoft (Silver Sponsor), Servoy (Silver Sponsor), Etelos (Silver Sponsor),  Microsoft (Expo Plus Sponsor),  Lightstreamer (Exhibitor Plus Sponsor),  IT Mill (Exhibitor Plus Sponsor), FrogLogic (Exhibitor Plus Sponsor), ThinWire (Expo Sponsor), Quasar Tecnologies (Expo Sponsor), Zapatec (Exhibitor Plus Sponsor), MB Technologies Bindows (Exhibitor), OpenSpot (Exhibitor), ILOG (Exhibitor), Passport Corporation (Exhibitor), Addison-Wesley (Exhibitor), The Thomson Corporation (Exhibitor), Isomorphic Software-SmartClient (Exhibitor), Universal Mind (Exhibitor), Farata Systems (Exhibitor Plus),  Manning Publications (AJAX Book Sponsor), Apress (AJAX Book Sponsor), Conference Guru (Media Sponsor), Flash Goddess (Media Sponsor), AJAXWorld Magazine (Media Sponsor), Web 2.0 Journal (Media Sponsor), SYS-CON.TV (Media Sponsor), IT Mill (Media Sponsor), Methods & Tools (Media Sponsor), Web 2.0 Journal (Media Sponsor), and OASIS.

As of Today OpenAjax Alliance Members Include: 24SevenOffice, abiss.gr, ActiveGrid, ActiveState, Adobe, American Greetings, Aplix Corporation, Appeon, Aptana, Arimaan Global Consulting, BEA Systems, Cisco Systems, Coradiant, Curl, Custom Credit Systems (Thinwire), Document Advantage, Dojo Foundation DreamFace Interactive, Eclipse Foundation, edge IPK, eLink Business Innovations, ESRI, F5, Fidelity Investments, Finetooth, Getahead (DWR), Global Computer Enterprises, GoETC, Google, Helmi Technologies, HR-XML, IBM, ICEsoft, Ikivo, ILOG, Innoopract, iPolipo, Isomorphic Software, IT MILL, JackBe, Javeline, JSSL, JWAX, Laszlo Systems, Lightstreamer, Microsoft, MobileAware, Mozilla Corporation, NetScript Technologies, Nexaweb, Nitobi, Novell, OpenLink Software, OpenSpot, OpenSymphony (OpenQA), Openwave Systems, Opera, OpSource, Oracle, OS3.IT, RadView, Redmonk, RIFT Technologies, SAP, Scalix, Seagull Software, Service-Now.com, Sitepen, Software AG, Sun Microsystems, Tealeaf Technology, Teleca Mobile, Telerik, The Frontside, Tibco, Transmend, Vertex Logic, Visible Measures, Visual WebGui, Volantis Systems, Webtide, XML11, Xucia, Zend, Zimbra, and Zoho.