Peer to peer computing as a business model

Since the ICQ was introduced, Peer-to-Peer(P2P) computing has been rapidly chaning our lives. Identified as a major consumer of Internet traffic and a potential outlet for exchanging copyrighted materials, the growth of and demand for P2P computing also brings about grave concerns and higher expectations today. This paper examines the history of P2P, underlying architecture, main players in the marketplace, and related legal and technical constraints that have governed the progress of the computing technology to illustrate potential business models along with the lessons and constraints surrounding the technology for more than a decade.