The iButtonŽ is a computer chip enclosed in a 16mm thick stainless steel can. Because of this unique and durable container, up-to-date information can travel with a person or object anywhere they go. The steel iButton can be mounted virtually anywhere because it is rugged enough to withstand harsh environments, indoors or outdoors. It is small and portable enough to attach to a key fob, ring, watch, or other personal items, and be used daily for applications such as access control to buildings and computers, asset management, and various data logging tasks.

The silicon chip within the iButton is protected by the ultimate durable material: stainless steel. You can drop an iButton, step on it, or scratch it. The iButton is wear-tested for 10-year durability. Unlike Bar-codes and Magnetic Stripe systems there are no optics or sensative magnetic heads to wear out . The iButton is read through a solid stainless steel contact. The iButton itself is a stainless steel can that is more durable than any other of the alternatives, the thin plastic of Smart Cards is no match for the strength of the stainless-steel clad iButton

All iButtons derive their uniqueness from a globally unique, controlled serial number engraved in silicon. The factory techniques used in making these unique chips are prohibitively difficult to duplicate. Even someone with unlimited time and resources that knew the serial number would have great difficulty in duplicating a simple iButton key.