USB (Universal Serial Bus) is arguably the most successful interconnect hardware in computing history. Originally released in 1995 at 12 Mbps, USB today operates at 480 Mbps and can be found in over 2 billion PC, CE, and mobile devices. In addition to high performance and "Plug & Play" compatibility, USB enjoys strong consumer brand recognition and a reputation for ease-of-use.

Hot-pluggable USB devices can be connected to without turning the computer off, enabling removable devices to be plugged and unplugged as needed. This feature, combined with easy-to-reach ports on the front of the computer case, gave rise to the USB drive, which is used for storage and numerous applications.

With USB-compliant PCs and peripherals, you just plug them in and turn them on! USB makes the whole process automatic. It's like adding instant new capabilities to your PC. You never need to open your PC, and you don't need to worry about add-in cards, DIP switch settings or IRQs.

USB 2.0 or Hi-Speed USB, provides an even greater enhancement in performance—up to 40 times faster than USB 1.0, with a design data rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps). USB 2.0 is fully backwards compatible with USB 1.1.

In 2009 the new version (USB 3.0) was released, and as new devices and peripherals hit the store shelves, every consumer will benefit from the super-fast speed it will deliver.