Celebrating 20 Years of ODF: The Backbone of Open Standards

LibreOffice is a free and open-source office productivity suite developed by The Document Foundation (TDF). It originated as a fork of OpenOffice.org in 2010. I have been using LibreOffice Writer, Impress, and Calc almost since its inception. It was an easy move from OpenOffice.org. I readily recommend LibreOffice to all those who ask for my technical assistance.

Few innovations in open standards and free software have had the lasting impact of the Open Document Format (ODF). This year marks a significant milestone—the 20th anniversary of its ratification as an OASIS standard. Since its approval in 2005, ODF has established itself as the go-to open standard for office documents and championed digital independence, interoperability, and content transparency.

Developed initially as an XML-based format to ensure universal access to documents across various platforms and software from different vendors, the Open Document Format (ODF) has become a cornerstone of technology policy for governments, educational institutions, and organizations that prefer open, vendor-independent formats to maintain their digital sovereignty.

Eliane Domingos, Chairwoman of The Document Foundation, emphasizes that ODF is more than a technical specification—it represents digital freedom, interoperability, and user empowerment. She highlights its role in protecting individuals and organizations from restrictive Big Tech practices, ensuring they maintain full control over their content. At a time when proprietary systems risk undermining independence, ODF stands as a reliable safeguard for open access and user autonomy.

ODF serves as the default file format for LibreOffice, the most widely recognized and utilized open-source office suite, with seamless compatibility across various applications. Two decades since its creation, its lasting impact reflects the foresight of its developers and the open-source community’s steadfast commitment to transparency, accessibility, and innovation.