(CNN) -- With computer technology advancing at an ever bewildering pace, it's comforting to know that one little feature remains steadfastly future-proof and, more importantly, foolproof.

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) is as relevant today as it was when the 12 millimeter by 4.5 millimeter ports and cables first started appearing back in the late 1990s, providing users with a discreet and straightforward way of transferring data between a range of digital devices.

Today, more than 10 billion USB devices are believed to be in use around the world -- a statistic that has secured its co-inventor, Ajay Bhatt, a permanent place in computing's unofficial hall of fame.

"I was totally surprised by how it has impacted everybody. I mean, my name became a common name -- at least at schools and in technical communities," Bhatt said.

The engineer's high standing in computing circles was famously celebrated in a 2009 advertising campaign by his employers, Intel, where an actor portraying Bhatt strutted into a lab full of starstruck co-workers.

Read more: www.cnn.com