Object Naming Service, or ONS, 'tells computer systems where to locate information on the internet about any object that carries an EPC (electronic Product Code). ONS was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Dr David Brock, Professor Sanjay Sarma and Joseph Foley. ONS is similar to - and (in part) based on - the Internet's existing DNS (Domain Name System), which allows Internet routing computers to identify where the pages associated with a particular Web site are stored. The DNS is used every time a Web site is accessed. The ONS will be used every time information is needed about a physical object. It is likely that the ONS will be many times larger than today's DNS. Although conceptually simple, designing ONS was a challenge. The system must be capable of quickly locating data for every single one of the trillions of objects that could potentially carry an EPC code in the future. The ONS must serve as a lightning-fast post office that, on a daily basis, receives and delivers millions (if not billions) of letters.'