Microsoft Corp., world’s largest software maker, said it will integrate XML standard in the upcoming version of its Office suite, codenamed Office 12. XML is otherwise known as extensible markup language that is used to transfer data back and forth between different programs, organizations and systems.

Microsoft said upcoming editions of Word, Powerpoint and Excel will have a default XML file format, which will change the extensions from .doc to .docx, .xls to .xlsx and .ppt to .pptx.

Although Microsoft’s rivals have been offering XML technology with their office suites for the past few years, the software giant didn’t think of this feature as a critical one for end users. Betsy Frost, Microsoft’s Senior Marketing Director, said XML mainly benefits corporate users due to its integration with various databases. However, the company will offer it with the next version in order to stay competitive and to better cater to users that need such technology.

In addition to the XLM integration, Bill Gates said Office 12 would make it easier for users to "focus, prioritize and apply their expertise, visualize and understand key data, and reduce the amount of time they spend dealing with the complexity of an information-rich environment."

Other details on Office 12 were not revealed at the time.