diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/ApplicationId.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/ApplicationId.java
index 433265e..3fab53f 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/ApplicationId.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onlab/onos/ApplicationId.java
@@ -1,56 +1,21 @@
 package org.onlab.onos;
 
-import java.util.Objects;
-import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 /**
- * Application id generator class.
+ * Application identifier.
  */
-public final class ApplicationId {
-
-    private static final AtomicInteger ID_DISPENCER = new AtomicInteger(1);
-    private final Integer id;
-
-    // Ban public construction
-    private ApplicationId(Integer id) {
-        this.id = id;
-    }
-
-    public Integer id() {
-        return id;
-    }
-
-    public static ApplicationId valueOf(Integer id) {
-        return new ApplicationId(id);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public int hashCode() {
-        return Objects.hash(id);
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
-        if (this == obj) {
-            return true;
-        }
-        if (obj == null) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        if (!(obj instanceof ApplicationId)) {
-            return false;
-        }
-        ApplicationId other = (ApplicationId) obj;
-        return Objects.equals(this.id, other.id);
-    }
+public interface ApplicationId {
 
     /**
-     * Returns a new application id.
-     *
-     * @return app id
+     * Returns the application id.
+     * @return a short value
      */
-    public static ApplicationId getAppId() {
-        return new ApplicationId(ApplicationId.ID_DISPENCER.getAndIncrement());
-    }
+    short id();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the applications supplied identifier.
+     * @return a string identifier
+     */
+    String name();
 
 }