Dear All,

Sorry for the cross posting.

Here is authoritative information concerning the announcement:

On November 13, 2007,  Microsoft Corp. and the Digital Accessible 
Information SYstem (DAISY) Consortium announced a joint standards-based 
development project that will make it possible for computer users who are
blind 
or print disabled to make better use of assistive technology in their daily 
lives. A reference model for other Open XML solution providers, this open 
technical collaboration project on SourceForge.net will yield a free, 
downloadable plug-in for Microsoft Office Word that can convert Open
XML-based 
documents into DAISY XML, the foundation of the globally accepted DAISY
Standard 
for reading and publishing navigable multimedia content. 

The Board, membership and staff of the DAISY Consortium welcome this
opportunity 
to collaborate with Microsoft and we look forward to the release of "Save As

DAISY XML" early next year.

Additional information is available on the DAISY Web site and from
Microsoft. Important links are:
The DAISY Planet newsletter:
http://www.daisy.org/news/newsletters/planet-2007-11.shtml
DAISY News item: http://www.daisy.org/news/index.shtml#newsitem339
Microsoft Press Release:
http://www.daisy.org/news/attachments/MS-Save-As-DAISY-pressrelease.doc
Microsoft Press Pass Feature:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/nov07/11-13daisy.mspx
Video interview With Markus Gylling, DAISY Consortium International
Technical Development Coordinator and Reed Shaffner, Microsoft Office Team
http://www.mseventseurope.com/teched/07/itforum/news/Pages/day2.aspx

For additional information please contact:
*George Kerscher, Secretary General, DAISY Consortium, (406) 549-4687, (406)
544-2466 (cell), [log in to unmask] 
*Lynn Leith, Head of Information Services, DAISY Consortium, (905) 304-9398,
[log in to unmask]