[ShadowAce]

what do you propose we call these edicts by their executive branch then? How about "mandates"?

I'd be comfortable with "policy."

[N3WBI3]

But thats not inflammatory enough..

[Golden Eagle]

Ok, but any policy is ignorant that mandates specific products and denies others, especially if what is being denied is the industry standard. That wreaks of politics. And any decent policy would allow for exceptions based on existing or future requirements, such as the one I manage for my own organization which is much smaller than an entire state government. Since it's apparently a done deal, despite the fact that Microsoft's new formats are in fact "open", I expect the govenrnment of Mass to suffer for their decison. Just like the government in Munich Germany who announced a similar decision a couple of years ago, but are still languishing trying to get the project off square 1.