February 19, 2013 – The Industry Data Exchange Association Inc. (IDEA)—a technology service provider and eBusiness standards body for the electrical industry—released the Attribute Schema v3.0, an industry-approved guide for electrical manufacturers to communicate standardized product descriptors to their trading partners through the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW). Manufacturers can use the Schema to populate descriptive information for nearly 3500 product categories, expanding product coverage by 40% from the previous version, and enabling additional manufacturers involved with related verticals (e.g. HVAC, plumbing and industrial) to participate. Product descriptors are based on the product categories of the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC). The Attribute Schema v3.0 is also being used to develop a cross-reference tool with its European equivalent, the European Technical Information Model (ETIM), to align standards internationally and enable manufacturers to send descriptive information to their U.S.-, Canadian- and European-based distributors simultaneously.