Think of IUID as an asset and data management tool on a global scale. It is an effort by the United States and other NATO government agencies to understand the type, location, cost, and availability of hardware and physical assets they own all over the world. The machine-readable IUID marks enable quick and precise automatic data capture for program management, engineering, and accountability. Using IUID marks enables government agencies to distinguish one item from another throughout the usable life of the item being traced.