This miniaturized data collector measures 2-¾ inches in length, weighs less than 2 ounces, and easily fits on a key ring or in the user's pocket. With its high-impact fiberglass-reinforced nylon case and stainless steel read head, iBR9000 is built to withstand the harshest operating conditions. According to Videx, testing reveals that it easily holds up to the repeated impact of six-foot drops.

The iBR9000 provides an audible tone and its LED light flashes when it reads an i button successfully. Thanks to ample memory capacity, at least 9,000 reads can be stored before data download is required. Powered by a standard 3-volt lithium camera-style battery, the iBR9000's battery life is up to a full year or 75,000 consecutive button reads. The batteries are generally available and can be changed on-the-go without any loss of data.

i buttons are dime-sized metal canisters containing a unique ID number that cannot be duplicated. When the iBR9000 touches an i button, the button's ID is stored in its memory, along with the date and time of contact. i buttons can be assigned to represent a person, a location, an item, or even an action. When a day's work is done, flexible communications software facilitates downloading the collected data to a computer by making an infrared connection to the IR port on a PC or MAC, or to a cellular PDA in the field. The iBR9000 software provides a detailed report of who, where, and when for management's review. For those organizations that want to host multiple clients, a server version of the software is also available.