A new View on Reference Data

The Financial Instruments Data Model (FIDM™) is a unique and proven concept for structuring and representing detailed information on financial instruments. FIDM™ forms a consistent and stable basis for financial instrument databases and for application development at banks, stock exchanges, data vendors and other financial intermediaries. In developing the model, special attention was given to the rapidly changing requirements for precise and automatically processed data in the Front Office and the Back Office. This is why FIDM™ allows state-of-the-art evaluations in risk management and the automation of complex procedures in securities administration.

Unbundling financial instruments

It is well known from financial market theory that even highly complex financial instruments can be depicted as combinations of relatively easily described individual elements. On the basis of this "unbundling" approach, all types of financial instruments can be included and described in detail in FIDM™. This also applies to instruments which are as yet unknown and which will only appear on the market tomorrow, or in the more distant future. Due to this modular approach, FIDM™ remains stable, despite the constantly changing financial environment.

Scope and level of detail of the model

FIDM™ was developed by specialists in information technology and by highly qualified financial economists, working closely together with the leading Swiss banks. The aim of this collaboration was to develop a model which, with regard to scope and level of detail, would satisfy even the requirements of major internationally active investment banks in the areas of risk and portfolio management and securities administration.

Versions

Since 1989 FIDM™ has been developed and has been continuously enhanced by ECOFIN (from 1991 to 2001, i.e. from Version 1.0 up to Version 1.8.1, together with Telekurs Financial Information Ltd., Zurich).