Before IDS, Ford relied on the New Generation Star (NGS) tester (a handheld tool) and the Worldwide Diagnostic System (WDS) , which was a large, cart-based tablet system. While revolutionary, the WDS was notoriously slow and prone to hardware failure.
Updating IDS involves more than just the main application; it often requires a three-step process to ensure the tool works with the vehicle's latest hardware: www.fordservicecontent.com Main Application Updates: The core IDS software (e.g., v132.04). Database & Calibration Updates: ford ids version history