Which IETM class do you need?
IETMs are commonly described in classes that reflect how interactive and database-driven the content is, from Class 1 (electronically indexed page images) to Class 5 (integrated, context-sensitive presentation with AI-aided diagnostics). Higher classes filter content to the tail number or configuration being worked, link procedures to parts and wiring, and guide troubleshooting.
Questions to ask
- Which IETM class will your program's data reach once it is loaded?
- Can content be filtered to a specific tail number or configuration?
- Does it guide troubleshooting, or only display procedures?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV is a Class-6 IETM - the designation MDDV uses for the generation beyond Class 5. It adds integrated digital wiring, fleet-wide analytics, AI-powered troubleshooting, automatic maintenance logging, and training in one platform.
Will it work with the technical data you already have?
Your technical data may be in SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture), PDF, or S1000D, the international specification for technical publications. Software that requires everything to be converted to S1000D first adds cost and schedule before maintainers see any benefit, and converted data must be validated against its source.
Questions to ask
- Which formats does it render natively, without conversion?
- Can different formats be combined in one table of contents and searched together?
- If conversion is needed, who performs it, at what price, and how is it validated?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV renders S1000D, SGML (MIL-STD-38784), DITA, PDF, Xyvision/XPP, 3D/CATIA models, and HD video natively, simultaneously and interchangeably - combined in one table of contents, with searches covering all of it. Bringing SGML or DITA data into MDDV is a one-time induction that costs a fraction of S1000D conversion, and because the source data does not change, no validation and verification (Val/Ver) process is needed.
Which S1000D issues does it support?
S1000D is revised over time in numbered issues. Check support for the issue your data follows today and for newer issues, along with Partial Data Delivery (PDD), which lets small updates be delivered without a complete dataset.
Questions to ask
- Which S1000D issues does it support, including the latest, Issue 6.0?
- Does it support Partial Data Delivery (PDD)?
- Does it support the related S-Series specifications for logistics data, such as S2000M and S3000L?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV supports S1000D including Issue 6.0, and supports PDD. MDDV Enterprise Edition supports the full S-Series of Integrated Product Support (IPS) specifications - S1000D, S2000M, S3000L, S4000P, S5000F, and S6000T.
Is it certified for the networks you operate on?
For defense programs, maintenance software must be approved for the networks maintainers use. Classified technical data also requires approval for the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet).
Questions to ask
- Is it certified for your service's network, and listed on the relevant approved products list?
- Is it approved for SIPRNet if you handle classified data?
- Does it support CAC (Common Access Card) login and single sign-on (SSO)?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV is USAF Network Certified per AFI 33-210/17-101 for the Air Force Network (AFNET) and SIPRNet, and is listed on the Air Force Evaluated/Approved Products List (AF E/APL). It is the only IETM certified for SIPRNet, supports CAC authentication and SSO/federation, and is CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) 2.0 Level 2 compliant.
Does it need software installed on every device?
Every plugin, extension, or installed client has to be deployed, approved, and kept current on each device that uses it. Software that runs entirely in a web browser avoids that work.
Questions to ask
- Does it run in a standard web browser with no plugins, installs, or extensions?
- Does it work on any operating system and device - laptops, tablets, and handhelds?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV is zero-footprint: it runs entirely in a web browser with no plugins, installs, extensions, or client-side software, on any operating system and any device - including its 3D models and video.
Will it work where your maintainers work?
Maintenance happens on flight lines, in hangars, and at deployed locations where a network connection is not guaranteed.
Questions to ask
- Does it work both connected and disconnected?
- Can it run on standalone laptops and tablets?
- Is a secure cloud option available?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV runs connected (networked), disconnected (standalone with local data), embedded (integrated into other systems), and in the cloud as MDDV 365, hosted on AWS GovCloud.
Does it connect the manual to wiring, parts, training, and maintenance data?
When the manual, wiring diagrams, parts catalog, training system, and maintenance records live in separate tools, maintainers switch between them and re-enter data. An integrated IETM links them, and can record each maintenance action as it is performed - the data behind Condition-Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+).
Questions to ask
- Are wiring diagrams linked directly to maintenance procedures?
- Is the Illustrated Parts Breakdown (IPB) linked to the procedures that use it?
- Can training reuse the same technical data and interface?
- Does it log maintenance actions automatically and report on them across the fleet?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV links procedures to LiveWire™ digital wiring, the Parts Wizard IPB, and MDDT training, and automatically logs every maintenance action - what was done, by whom, when, and how long it took - for I-See™ fleet analytics. A senior USAF maintainer noted that what takes 2-3 hours with legacy tools takes 30 seconds with LiveWire, and a University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) Cost-Benefit Analysis documents a 20-30% reduction in maintenance action time.
How will you buy it?
Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software available on an established contract vehicle can streamline procurement. Ask how the software is licensed, how onboarding or conversion work is priced, and which contract vehicles it is available on.
Questions to ask
- Is it commercial off-the-shelf software, or custom development?
- Which contract vehicles is it available on, such as a GSA (General Services Administration) contract?
- Is onboarding or conversion work offered at a fixed price?
How MDDV answers it
MDDV is patented COTS software, available through GSA Contract 47QTCA19D00K6 for term software licenses and IT professional services. S1000D conversions are delivered at a fixed price with a guaranteed timeline. Cost depends on the format, consistency, and size of your source data.
