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When peer to peer gets going at the edge, traditional players better watch out.
More than 1 billion wired and wireless devices are attached to the Internet, and 1 many of them have sufficient processing power and storage capabilities (with the right software) to organize themselves into overlay P2P networks. In a P2P environment, nodes communicate and cooperate in computing tasks without relying on server-based control, processing or bandwidth. (For an intro to P2P, see BCR, February 2006, pp. 36-40.)
Already there are dozens of peer-to-peer (P2P) services on the Internet, including VOIP, instant messaging, videoconferencing, open source file sharing and others, with more just over the horizon. In fact, it is well known that proprietary P2P protocols make up a majority of the traffic on the Internet. Proprietary P2P protocols include BitTorrent, FastTrack (used by Kazaa and others), the Freenet Project, Gnutella and Gnutella2, NEOnet (used by Morpheus) and Skype.
P2P overlay networks are popular, in part, because they conveniently allow experimentation with new technology and with different ways to deliver services. In contrast, the Internet itself has become rigid and difficult to experiment with, which is a direct consequence of its commercial success and its critical importance to the expanding realm of ecommerce.
P2P presents an enormous opportunity, not only for new devices but also for locally developed services that are delivered through P2P edge device cooperation. P2P overlays are becoming the place to be for future Internet-based innovation and development.
What's Happening?
P2P promises to rapidly, simply and inexpensively put new services and technology-enabled experiences within reach (and under the complete control) of edge devices on all kinds of networks-wearable networks, home networks, automobile networks and office networks-all over the world.
Consider an individual carrying (or wearing) a mobile device, who enters his/her home. Immediately the mobile device applications form a P2P network with other device applications in the vicinity, perhaps the phone answering machine, TV set top box, stereo and kitchen appliances. The answering machine plays the messages, or transfers them to the user's device, the jazz radio station comes on, the TV starts recording the evening news and the oven begins to preheat for dinner preparations.
The applications running on all these devices form the P2P overlay network and...