As of January 2011, the IDI: business identification number came into effect. This is a nine-digit, randomly generated identification code (it does not contain any significant information each company) assigned to each company operating in Switzerland.
The goal is to reduce the myriad of separate identifiers used by the administration (e.g., trade registry number or VAT number) to make room for a single identifier. This will facilitate exchanges of information between administrations, between businesses and the administration as well as between businesses themselves. Data will be updated in a single reference register, and thus the administrative burden associated with updating data will be greatly reduced. In addition, to facilitate data exchange with the EU, the IDI is compatible with the EORI format.
The IDI registry is available at: https://www.uid.admin.ch/Search.aspx
Read more at: http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/it/index/themen/00/05/blank/03.html