Simply Timeless

FDT Group was founded in the late 1990s, during the Third Industrial Revolution, to alleviate the stress of control system/device incompatibility due to proprietary approaches while meeting the diverse needs of automation suppliers, end users and other stakeholders. Since that time, FDT technology has advanced integration in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (digital era) and is recognized as the de-facto standard in the market.

1998
Initial Roots

Proposal to create a
vendor-neutral field
device configuration
tool known as FDT

2001
FDT 1.2

Release of FDT 1.2
standard for single-user,
desktop applications

2003
FDT License Transfer

Profibus
Nutzerorganisation
(PNO) licenses
FDT standard to
FDT Group

2003
FDT JIG

Joint Interest Group
(JIG) was formed

2003
dtmINSPECTOR™

Release of
dtmINSPECTOR™
to test FDT 1.2 DTMs
for certification

2005
FDT 1.2.1

Release of FDT 1.2.1
specification update

2005
FDT Group AISBL

Formation of
“FDT Group”
as AISBL according
to Belgian law

2006
General Assembly

First FDT Group
General Assembly

Flavio Tolfo named
Managing Director

2009
IEC 62453

Recognition of FDT 1.2
as IEC 62453 standard

Glenn Schulz named
Managing Director

2011
ISA103/ANSI

Recognition of
FDT 1.2 as
ISA103/ANSI standard

2012
FDT 2.0

Release of
FDT 2.0 standard
for desktop and
client/server
applications,
including OPC UA for
enterprise access

2012
FDT 2.0 Developer Tools

Release of FDT 2.0
Common Component
for Desktops and DTMs

2013
GB/T 29618

Recognition of FDT 1.2
as China National
Standard GB/T 29618

2015
FDT Security

Formation of the
Cyber Security Team

2016
dtmINSPECTOR™

Release of dtmINSPECTOR4
to test FDT 2.x DTMs
for certification

2016
IEC 62453

Recognition of FDT 2.0
as IEC 62453 standard

2016
I4.0 Initiative Launch

Launch of the 4th
Industrial Revolution
FDT 3.0 standard
initiative towards digital
transformation

2018
FDT 2.0 Global

Recognition of FDT 2.0
as a global standard
(IEC, ISA and GB/T)

2018
FDT 2.1

Release of FDT 2.1
standard sets
transformation path
to connected
industrial enterprise

2020
FDT 3.0

Release of FDT 3.0
standard
empowers innovative
business models
designed for cloud
architectures, and
mobile applications

2020
FDT 3.0 Developer Tools

Release of Desktop,
Server and DTM
Common Components
and dtmINSPECTOR5
for certification of
FDT 3.0 DTMs

2022
New Managing Director

FDT Board Appoints
Steve Biegacki as
FDT Managing Director

2022
FDT UE

Launch of the FDT Unified Environment (UE) for IT/OT data harmonization and lifecycle management