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Microsoft has long blamed IBM for stoking opposition to its OOXML format, which failed to gain enough support to be fast-tracked into an ISO standard at the first attempt.

The man in charge of Microsoft's standards bid accused IBM of lobbying against OOXML to protect its own profit margins in an exclusive interview with PC Pro last year.

"Frankly some of the opposition is very commercially based," argued Tom Robertson, general manager for corporate standards at Microsoft. "Those commercial interests heavily invested in ODF [an open-source rival to OOXML] have a strategic interest in stopping that recognition of OOXML. That's what we want people

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to appreciate."

Now IBM has accused Microsoft of attempting to push through a flawed standard. "IBM believes that there is a revolution occurring in the IT industry, and that smart people around the world are demanding truly open standards developed in a collaborative, democratic way for the betterment of all," the company's vice president of standards, Bob Sutor, tells ArsTechnica.

"If 'business as usual' means trying to foist a rushed, technically inferior and product-specific piece of work like OOXML on the IT industry, we're proud to stand with the tens of countries and thousands of individuals who are willing to fight against such bad behaviour."

Sutor even goes so far as applauding the companies who've refused to back Microsoft. "In particular, we congratulate those countries who have already voted against OOXML in the JTC1 ballot, and the many more who we believe are now considering doing the same," he says.

Microsoft will face a second ballot on OOXML later this month, which will give a firm indication of which side has won the PR battle.