Web Mapping of Real-World Things and its Applications - Product WEBID as a Driving Force for new Supply Chains

This paper discusses the use of web sites as individual IDs for things and processes of the real world. We regard a web site as an information entity that perfectly fits the purpose of identifying a real-life object or process. We examine a scenario of tagging manufactured products with information tags called WebIDs and describe their possible information makeup. Individual WebIDs that are automatically created for each item during production and accompany the item throughout its entire lifecycle, have far-reaching implications for many areas of human activity. The availability of pertinent information contained in the product ID promotes awareness of the product origin, quality, location and history. Access to information about the product protects consumer rights and contributes to the efficiency of commerce. Elimination of manufacturer and owner anonymity helps to combat produce counterfeits, smuggling, and illegal movement