Peer-to-peer networks

Will peer-to-peer computing be the next killer Internet application? Like most over-hyped concepts, P2P is loosely defined and covers a set of rather disparate ideas. Perhaps the only common theme is a client-oriented view of the world; you might think of P2P as "Power to the People". The servers are subservient to the clients, which do most of the work. P2P has several important technology challenges and applications, varying from the sublime to the ridiculous. The article presents a quick overview and suggests some emerging research areas and opportunities.