Z:gnu-www-ja-software-libre-commercial-viability--173fc5-Another critical point in addi/en

Another critical point in addition to source availability is standardization on file formats, a field where proprietary products are revealing their worst features. Let's imagine an environment where every file format in the system was known: you could, for example, create indexes from any document that is produced, thus easing later retrieval. This can be accomplished off-line without any load on non-technical personnel. Asynchronous reuse of data is &ldquo;rocket science&rdquo; for many users, because they are accustomed to programs that use proprietary file formats (and operating systems with no real multi-tasking or &ldquo;cron&rdquo; capabilities). As soon as free standards are adopted, users begin asking for customizations and are willing to pay for anything that will increase their productivity. Moreover, free standards guarantee that customers are not making the wrong bet, as they won't ever be stuck with unusable data if the software market changes.