It seems that being sneaky, slimy, underhanded, and not above a little friendly skullduggery has never hurt Microsoft. Hear ye! Hear ye! OpenXML is, apparently, now an ISO standard, according to the following from Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. Reports: OpenXML ISO approved Microsoft’s OpenXML is on its way to becoming an ISO standard. The three sites that have been following the vote are all reporting that, barring some unforeseen circumstances, OpenXML will become an ISO standard. [LXer.com News]

Earlier, Groklaw spoke of voting irregularities, suggesting that investigations were under way. Meanwhile, an interesting, non-Groklaw, perspective can be found over at the Linux Journal site. Has the ISO sold out?