What Is ETIM?
Last updated: August 2026
ETIM is an open, manufacturer-neutral standard for classifying technical products. Every product is assigned to exactly one ETIM class and described with standardized features and values. This lets manufacturers, wholesalers and installers exchange product data in a way that is unambiguous, comparable and machine-readable — across languages, systems and vendors. The standard is maintained by ETIM International and national organizations.
What does ETIM stand for?
ETIM originally stood for “Elektrotechnisches Informationsmodell” (electro-technical information model). Today the abbreviation is read as “ETIM Technical Information Model”, reflecting its expansion far beyond the electrical sector. The standard emerged in the late 1990s and is now developed by ETIM International with national member organizations in more than 20 countries.
In one sentence: ETIM is a classification model that assigns technical products to classes and defines, per class, the features, units and values used to describe them.
How does ETIM classification work?
ETIM classification assigns each product to exactly one product class. Each class comes with a fixed set of features that describe the product technically. The model is deliberately flat — no deep hierarchy, just well-defined classes with standardized feature lists.
The building blocks:
- Class (EC): e.g. EC000042 “Miniature circuit breaker”. The class determines which features apply.
- Feature (EF): e.g. “Rated current”, “Number of poles”, “Colour” — each with a defined data type (numeric, alphanumeric, logical, range).
- Value (EV): standardized selection values for alphanumeric features.
- Unit (EU): normalized units for numeric features, e.g. ampere or millimetre.
- Group (EG): thematic grouping of classes — an ordering aid, not a rigid hierarchy.
Example: a miniature circuit breaker is assigned to class EC000042 and described with rated current “16 A”, number of poles “1” and tripping characteristic “B”. A wholesaler can then compare and filter products from different manufacturers directly — same features, same units, same values.
How many ETIM classes are there?
The current version, ETIM 10.0, contains 5,640 product classes (source: ETIM Deutschland). The model keeps growing: ETIM 10.0 alone added 119 new classes, based on more than 5,200 requests for change submitted by the member countries — driven by the needs of the electrical, HVAC/plumbing, building and tools sectors.
What is the current ETIM version?
The current release is ETIM 10.0, published in December 2024. Since 2021, major versions have followed a fixed two-year cycle; ETIM 11.0 is already in preparation. In addition, the ETIM Dynamic Release publishes changes continuously in the online classification database, so you do not have to wait for the next major version.
For day-to-day work this matters: trading partners typically require data in a specific version, so your PIM system should manage several ETIM versions in parallel and export version-accurate data per recipient.
Who uses ETIM, and in which industries?
ETIM is used along the entire technical supply chain: manufacturers classify their products, wholesalers require ETIM data for catalogues and online shops, and installers and planners use the features in calculation and tendering software. The standard is firmly established in the electrical sector, strongly adopted in HVAC and plumbing, building materials, tools and fasteners, and expanding into further technical assortments — wherever technical products are sold through wholesale and trade channels.
Is ETIM mandatory?
No — ETIM is not a legal requirement. In practice, however, it is often a de facto market-entry condition: many wholesalers and buying groups only accept ETIM-classified product data, and the sector data pools are built around it. Manufacturers who want to be listed rarely get around ETIM — not because of regulation, but because their trading partners demand it.
What is the difference between ETIM and ECLASS?
Both are classification standards with different centres of gravity: ETIM is a flat, feature-centric model for technical products in the wholesale channel, while ECLASS is a hierarchical, cross-industry standard focused on e-procurement, corporate purchasing and Industry 4.0. Many manufacturers maintain both in parallel because different customers require different standards.
| ETIM | ECLASS | BMEcat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Classification model (classes + features) | Classification model (4-level hierarchy + properties) | Exchange format for catalogue data (XML) |
| Structure | flat: group → class | hierarchical: 4 levels, 8-digit code | no classification — transports classifications |
| Typical use | electrical, HVAC, building, tools — wholesale & trade | cross-industry, procurement, Industry 4.0 | catalogue transfer manufacturer → dealer/platform |
| Cost | classification model free to use | licence-based | specification freely available |
| Maintained by | ETIM International | ECLASS e. V. | BME e. V. |
In depth: What is ECLASS?
What is the difference between ETIM and BMEcat?
They complement each other rather than compete. ETIM defines HOW a product is classified and described; BMEcat is the transport format — the XML structure in which catalogue data, including the ETIM classification, travels from manufacturer to dealer. In practice you maintain ETIM classes and features in your PIM and export them as a BMEcat file following the ETIM BMEcat guidelines. ETIM International has also released ETIM xChange, a JSON-based successor format to BMEcat; market adoption is under way.
How do you manage ETIM data in a PIM system?
Maintaining ETIM manually in spreadsheets becomes unmanageable beyond a few hundred articles — every product needs its class plus dozens of features in the correct version. A PIM system solves this structurally: the ETIM classification is imported as a reference structure, products are assigned to classes, and your internal attributes are mapped to ETIM features. Good systems validate completeness and value ranges automatically, run several ETIM versions in parallel and export the data as BMEcat or portal-specific formats — one clean mapping, reused for every trading partner. Background reading: Classification of product data.
Where does ETIM fit in the PIM and data management landscape?
ETIM is a standard, not a system — it lives wherever your product data is managed centrally. Within the interplay of a PIM system (the leading source for product data and classifications), DAM (media assets) and channel syndication, ETIM is one of several target classifications alongside ECLASS or customer-specific structures. The PIM holds your internal data model and translates it, rule-based, into the standards your trading partners require.
ETIM in a PIM system like OMN
In OMN, the PIM system by apollon, you manage ETIM as a dedicated classification structure right next to your internal product hierarchy: assign classes, map features, and validate completeness and value ranges automatically — across multiple ETIM versions and in parallel with ECLASS. Via Channel Management, you export the classified data as BMEcat or portal-specific formats to wholesalers, data pools and marketplaces without re-keying data per recipient. apollon brings more than 25 years of experience in product data and media processes — particularly in ETIM-driven industries such as electrical, HVAC and manufacturing. See the details on OMN Product Information Management — or experience ETIM maintenance live in a free demo.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions about ETIM
How much does ETIM cost?
The classification model itself is an open standard and free to use; the English master version is freely available for download, while translated language versions are provided by the national organizations (some tied to membership). Costs arise mainly from optional membership in a national ETIM organization and from the internal maintenance effort — which drops significantly with proper system support.
What are ETIM features?
ETIM features (code EF) are the standardized properties defined per class — such as rated current, degree of protection or material. Each feature has a fixed data type and, where needed, normalized units and selection values, so that all market participants describe products identically.
How do you export ETIM data?
The common route is a BMEcat export following the ETIM BMEcat guidelines, plus Excel/CSV formats required by individual data pools. A PIM system with channel management generates these formats automatically from the maintained data set.
What is ETIM International?
ETIM International is the umbrella organization that develops the classification model globally and publishes the releases. National organizations localize the standard, consolidate their members’ change requests and act as first point of contact per country.