Page "Vendor lock-in" Paragraph 24

Microsoft's application software also exhibits lock-in through the use of proprietary file formats.

Microsoft Outlook uses a proprietary datastore file and interface which are impossible to read without being parsed, and such parsers may in turn not be able to exist legally without performing reverse engineering.

For example, to access data contained in Outlook's '. PST ' files, the application must process the request through Outlook instead of directly handling the file.

Present versions of Microsoft Word have introduced a new format MS-OOXML.

This may make it easier for competitors to write documents compatible with Microsoft Office in the future by reducing lock-in.

Microsoft released full descriptions of the file formats for earlier versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint in February 2008.