UBICs - What are they?
The term UBIC was coined by Mike Hawley and stands for Universal Binary Identification Code. In other words, a UBIC is just a unique label or name that is assigned to every object, similar to how people have names.

What do they look like?
In the SWAT system, UBICs have two parts - a model number and a serial number. Here is an example below.

No two objects on the planet should have the same model number AND serial number. Though two object may share a model number or serial number (but not both). For example, products sold in the United States (and elsewhere) typically have a barcode label on them. In this case, the barcode in effect indicates the model number of the product. So two coke cans would share a model number, but each would have a different serial number. Of course, barcode's presently do not contain serial numbers, but it is our contention that they should.

Two different objects may also share the same serial number, but this should be regarded as chance. A coke can with UBIC ????.3412 and a box of Tide with UBIC ????.3412 should not be considered to have any relationship.

How big are UBICs?
For starters, 128 bits should be adequate. Sixty-four of those bits would represent the model number and the other 64, the serial number.

This gives us 1.8x10¹⁹ of each. Some people might argue that we should have more bits (or less) but the important point is that no matter the size, a UBIC should have two parts.

Why two parts?
Consider this scenario: You have just purchased a new "home automation enabled" lamp and you plug it into the wall of your house. It would be very nice if your house could somehow "discover" your new purchase and integrate it into the operation of your home. If the house was able to read the lamp's UBIC, it could use the model number component to reach the manufacturer and download the (most up-to-date) information that it needs to incorporate your new lamp. If the UBIC was just one big number, then reaching the manufacturer would be a formidable task -- some router on the internet would have to know the UBIC of every object on the planet and the manufacturer corresponding to that UBIC.

In essence, the model number is very much an internet address for a given product line. The serial number, on the other hand, ensures that each object gets a unique id.

Who assigns UBICs?
A central naming authority would assign the model number component much in the same way that barcode's number are assigned to manufacturers or internet addresses are assigned to . It would be up to the "owner" of a model number to determine how serial numbers are assigned to each product (again subject to the constraint that each object receive a unique serial number). Just as with barcodes, a different model number would be assigned to each type of product a manufacturer produces.