Microsoft Office to remove PDF support

Whatever the truth is or who ever is on the right side, here are the indesputable facts based on my research:

1. PDF is claimed to me an open format and any one is free to incorporate PDF support as long as they conform to the format and thus not break the compatibility. Here is the Adobe partner documentation
2. There are already many products out there from Vendors/ISVs which support PDF to other formats conversion and vice versa. So it is not just the Microsoft that is taking a lead here or trying a new approach. If it is O.K for others to do it, I do not see any reason why Microsoft should be a exception.
3. At least there is no publically available information on whether Microsoft is altering the format and as some one who has inside information and knew the folks who were doing it, I can say this isn't the case. I for one was involved in sort of PDF support for a Microsoft product a while ago and I know the reality.
4. There is no question or doubt that Office customers will benefit from this as they do not have to buy Acrobat to author PDF content.

So in my simplistic view, Adobe is the evil company here and not Microsoft.