IDS was Ford’s official dealer-level diagnostic and reprogramming software from the early 2000s until it was phased out by FDRS (Ford Diagnostic and Repair System) around 2019/2020.
The VCM: This era introduced the Vehicle Communication Module (VCM I). The Stabilization Era (2005 – 2012) ford ids version history
The software's version history is tied to the evolution of the hardware interfaces it supports: FDRS (Ford Diagnostic and Repair System)
In late 2020, Ford officially announced the retirement of IDS. Its successor, FDRS (Ford Diagnostic and Repair System) , took over for all 2020-and-newer model years. FDRS is a cloud-first, subscription-based platform that cannot be easily hacked or cloned. It also supports OTX (Open Test Sequence eXchange) scripting for guided diagnostics. ford ids version history