The Open Document Format saw a marked uptick in use last year across the globe, according to the ODF Alliance's 2007 report.

Twelve countries and six regional governments have adopted "pro-ODF policies," according to the group, composed of companies and organizations that advocate for the format. The latest countries are the Netherlands and South Africa, which require government agencies to use the format. Also, more than 40 applications now support ODF, and the Alliance's membership ranks are set to rise above 500, according to the report.

"Considering where we started when we launched the alliance back in 2006, the developments in 2007 are amazing in terms of the progress that has been made," said Marino Marcich, managing director of the group.

"It's one thing to recognize ODF as a matter of policy in an enterprise architecture framework and another to mandate its use," he added. "Proprietary formats in the public sphere are going out of style and becoming unacceptable globally."

Another win for ODF in the United States could come soon. New York officials are expected to decide which format the state will use in its systems. The public comment period for the matter had originally been scheduled to end on Dec. 28, but an updated document on the state's Web site indicates that the period has been extended to Jan. 18.

Read the complete article by Chris Kanaracus, IDG News Service.