UK educational technology agency Becta has stepped up its fight against Microsoft by referring its concerns over the interoperability of Microsoft Office to the European Commission (EC).

Becta lodged a complaint with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in October detailing concerns over Microsoft’s schools software policy and the interoperability of Office 2007 (CRN, 29 October).

The agency said it has now handed its interoperability complaint and related evidence to the EC after the Commission launched a wider investigation into Microsoft’s interoperability approach in January (CRN, 17 January).

The Commission’s investigation will take in a number of concerns, including whether Microsoft’s new file format Office Open XML is sufficiently interoperable with competitors’ products.

Becta said its complaint against Microsoft’s School Agreement licensing model will remain under consideration by the OFT.

Dr Stephen Lucey, Becta's executive director of strategic technologies, said: “It is not just the interests of competitors and the wider marketplace that are damaged when barriers to effective interoperability are created. Such barriers can also damage the interests of education and training organisations, learners, teachers and parents.

“I therefore very much welcome the decision by the Commission to conduct a wide ranging investigation."