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