>From Microsoft's press release announcing the Channel Definition Format
(http://www.microsoft.com/corpinfo/press/1997/Mar97/Cdfrpr.htm):
CDF will be easy for Web developers to adopt because it is based
on XML, which has support among many third parties. XML has public
domain software written in Java and other languages available now
that can be used to parse CDF files. The CDF specification
submission extends XML and Web Collections work that the W3C has
in progress. These efforts will allow for open, HTML-based Web
broadcasting based on standards-based technologies that are
expected to have strong support among W3C members. Microsoft looks
forward to other leading Web developers joining in support of this
open standards effort.
Jon