1. A method comprising: receiving at least two sets of attributes and values for a product through a communications network, each set of attributes representing quantifiable properties of the product and each set of values representing numerical quantities of the respective properties, wherein there is at least one difference between each of the sets of attributes and values; forming a collaborative component taxonomy instantiation, the taxonomy instantiation comprising a union of distinct attributes and values obtained from the at least two sets of attributes and values; associating a unique identifier with the formed collaborative component taxonomy instantiation; comparing the union of product attributes and values in the collaborative component taxonomy instantiation to product catalog information received from different computing systems through a communications network; associating the unique identifier with those matching products included in the received product catalog information based on the comparing; and distributing the unique identifier and the association with a corresponding matching product to each computing system having product catalog information containing the corresponding matching product through the communications network, wherein the unique identifier is associated with each matching product at each computing system through the distributing.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising searching a set of form, fit and function characteristics in the taxonomy instantiation to identify an actual product.