Safe Software have released FME 2025.2, and it’s a genuinely meaningful update, not a cosmetic one. The release focuses on modern authentication, smoother cloud connectivity, improved Flow authoring, and updates that keep organisations aligned with rapidly evolving security and vendor standards.
For many of our clients, these changes support one key theme and that’s future-proofing your FME environment before legacy components start holding you back.
Why This Release Matters
The most impactful change in FME 2025.2 is something your users may barely notice but your IT team definitely will.
External-Browser Authentication for Web Connections
OAuth2 and SAML logins now use your system’s default external browser, not FME’s embedded one. This shift aligns with how major SaaS vendors (Microsoft, Google, Esri, Salesforce, etc) are now enforcing authentication.
This upgrade delivers immediate benefits:
- Meets modern security requirements as embedded browsers continue to be deprecated
- Removes brittle connection behaviour caused by changes in embedded web engines
- Improves reliability for cloud, API, and enterprise integrations
- Reduces compliance overhead for organisations managing sensitive or regulated data
For many organisations, this update directly addresses authentication issues you may already be seeing in older FME versions.
Key Enhancements Across Sectors
FME 2025.2 includes updates that improve compatibility, broaden connectivity and streamline workspace development.
Highlights include:
New and Updated Formats
Support has been extended for:
- Delta Lake (lakehouse/Databricks ecosystems)
- MariaDB / SkySQL
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
- SharePoint Online Lists (expanded connector capability)
This strengthens cloud-native and enterprise data workflows which is crucial for Councils, utilities and all organisations modernising their data stacks.
Improved Compatibility with GIS Platforms
FME is now aligned with ArcGIS Pro 3.6.x, making life easier for teams upgrading their GIS environment and reducing the “version mismatch” headaches we see in support tickets.
Developer-Focused Improvements
Updates to the Geometry API and FME SDK provide more flexibility for custom transformers, automation extensions and specialised processing.
This is particularly valuable for organisations that maintain large automation environments or integrate FME with in-house systems.
More in 2025.2: Smaller (But Important) Enhancements
Some updates don’t make the headline but still improve day-to-day developer and analyst experience, let’s take a quick look at those:
- Cleaner, faster Flow interface for authoring, debugging and reviewing jobs
- Reduced reliance on Creator transformers when building API-driven workflows
- Enhanced connectors for cloud storage, databases and enterprise platforms
- Performance and reliability improvements across common high-volume processes
- Better error messaging and logging
Individually small but collectively valuable, especially for organisations running FME at scale.
Why Upgrade to FME 2025.2?
If you’re still on an older version, here’s what upgrading enables:
1. Stay Ahead of Authentication Changes
Major vendors are retiring embedded-browser flows. 2025.2 ensures your environment is ready
2. Reduce Operational Risk
Updated connectors, improved security handling and better compatibility prevent unexpected workflow failures
3. Unlock Advanced Use Cases
Telemetry, IoT ingestion, Power BI reporting, dashboards and real-time pipelines all benefit from the updated formats and Flow improvements
4. Prepare for New Projects and GIS Upgrades
Many organisations are moving toward hybrid environments or cloud first. FME 2025.2 provides a safer and more flexible foundation to build on.
Even if everything is working fine today… modern authentication and API lifecycles mean older versions will increasingly become harder to maintain.
Thinking About Upgrading? We Can Help.
Our upgrade lead, Darren Fergus, has helped dozens of organisations move smoothly to the latest FME versions with minimal downtime and maximum reliability.
Whether you’re planning a straightforward upgrade or a full platform review (format updates, server architecture, Flow optimisation), the Locus team can support you end-to-end. Reach out to Darren Fergus or Chris Morris to discuss further.
Learn more about FME and Locus at locusglobal.com
