| Peer to Peer technology (P2P) first came into | | | | the P2P network Kazaa, Skype was bought by |
| focus through companies like Napster and | | | | eBay in late 2005 for 2.6 billion dollars. |
| Kazza, who developed file sharing | | | | With over 100 million users according to |
| applications that would allow users to share | | | | eBay, its safe to say that Skype is the |
| their own files, as well as search for and | | | | industry leader in peer to peer Internet |
| download files of other users on the network. | | | | telephony. Ebay would like Skype to evolve |
| Instead of relying on a centralized client | | | | into a customer service application, allowing |
| server relationship, a peer to peer network | | | | potential buyers to communicate directly to |
| gets its strength from each individual node, | | | | Ecommerce enabled web sites online and in |
| adding bandwidth and processing power with | | | | real time. |
| each new member for the good of the many. | | | | |
| | | | Peer to Peer and the Gaming Comunity |
| Much like the Borg of the later Star Trek | | | | |
| episodes, peer to peer can scale indefinately | | | | Another area where the peer to peer idea has |
| without the use of expensive central servers, | | | | taken off is the online gaming community. |
| and from a cost standpoint -resistance is | | | | PeerMe is a peer to peer internet telephony |
| futile! | | | | company that caters to gamers, offering |
| | | | PC-to-PC and PC-to handheld voice |
| Peer to peer Internet Telephony is, like | | | | communications, instant messaging, and |
| Napster, a software application that you | | | | peer-to-peer file transfer over public |
| download on to your computer from a peer to | | | | Internet connections. They have recently |
| peer VoIP service provider. The softeware, or | | | | partnered with game distributor Boonty, |
| soft phone as it is called, is free to | | | | offering a broad selection of downloadable |
| download and calls to or from anyone on the | | | | games in many languages. Gamers can form |
| network are free. The only hardware you need | | | | communities, evaluate and purchase games, and |
| is a headset, or a microphone and speakers. | | | | communicate with friends via voice and text |
| Internet telephony headsets are cheap and | | | | online in real time. |
| come in USB or can plug directly into your | | | | |
| sound cards. | | | | P2P Internet Telephony for Small Businesses |
| | | | |
| For those with web cams, many providers allow | | | | The cost effectiveness of a decentalized peer |
| you to make video calls to others on the | | | | to peer voip solution has not been overlooked |
| network for free. Services offered with this | | | | in the business community. Market leader |
| technology go above and beyond the Telcos, | | | | Avaya has developed the one-X Quick Edition |
| with conference calls, call forwarding, | | | | line of SIP telephones that is a non server |
| instant messaging and chat - peer to peer | | | | based IP PBX system. Connected to your LAN, |
| Internet telephony literaly turns your | | | | each phone contains the software necessary |
| computer into a telephone/vidiophone | | | | maintain the PBX, and knows about every other |
| communications center. | | | | phone on the network. An ideal solution for |
| | | | small businesses with many branch offices, |
| Like the traditional VoIP providers, calls | | | | the stay at home telecomuter, call centers |
| within the network are free worldwide, but | | | | and customer service centers. |
| calls to a PSTN number will usualy cost you | | | | |
| if it is an option. You can in some cases, | | | | Over at the Gizmo Project they have developed |
| have different numbers in other locations so | | | | a business software solution that supports |
| that people can call you from a land line | | | | the open source Asterik PBX software, and has |
| even from other counties toll free. Even if | | | | free calling to anyone on the Gizmo peer to |
| you do have to pay to get on the PSTN, the | | | | peer network. Under the All Calls Free |
| rates are so much cheaper than a telco. | | | | plan.employees make free calls to the |
| | | | landlines and mobile phones of co-workers in |
| Just like the other forms of VoIP, developers | | | | 60 countries. |
| have had some technological hurdles to | | | | |
| overcome. Quality of Service, NATed | | | | The biggest advantage of a peer to peer |
| firewalls, and centralized directories of | | | | internet telephony solution is the economical |
| members using a dynamic IP address are just a | | | | start up costs (usualy the price of a |
| few. Also, as calls and instant messages are | | | | headset), and the ability to turn your |
| routed through the public Internet, | | | | computer into a world wide communications |
| encryption is a must for any user. | | | | center. While a Soft Phone and a headset is |
| | | | the norm for most providers, hand helds and |
| Internet Telephony in Ecommerce | | | | IP desk phones are rapidly gaining ground in |
| | | | P2P internet telephony. Peer to peer |
| Probably the best known company and indeed a | | | | networking for online communication - a |
| pioneer of peer-to peer Internet telephony is | | | | technology coming of age for web sites, |
| Skype. Originaly founded by Niklas Zennstrom | | | | gamers and the small business community. |
| and Janus Friis, two of the innovators behind | | | | |