P2P Software

Among the most popular software programs downloaded from the Internet are P2P applications such as Kazaa and Napster. P2P technology is already perceived by many companies and web sites as the future of Internet networking.

Some of the key features that are common among the most successful modern P2P programs include the following:

the main program operates outside the web browser.
intuitive and tightly integrated user interface.
user tools are available to customize the program’s content.
the program allows for "cross-network" protocols like XML-RPC.

Kazaa, Napster and More P2P Software Applications

The de facto template for future music file sharing applications that followed, the original Napster was the most popular P2P system in its day. It single-handedly defined what a “modern” P2P file sharing system was with its easy-to-grasp interface that worked outside the web browser, and its innovative chat room feature allowed a community to thrive beyond the inherent anonymity of P2P file sharing.

After the RIAA lawsuit forced the original Napster to shut down, the field was wide open for a number of emerging P2P programs to claim their share of the displaced Napster user base. The majority of the Napster community regrouped under Kazaa and Kazaa Lite. Though Kazaa has not been spared its own ordeal of legal obstacles, other free P2P file sharing systems such as Overnet are already up and running on the Internet.

The phenomenal success of Napster and Kazaa has caught the attention of many other companies that are now studying the far-reaching possibilities introduced by P2P technology. Still, there is also a school of thought that believes Napster and Kazaa owe their popularity more to piracy than to the underlying P2P software that made it the free-flow of file sharing possible. The commercial potential of mass-marketed P2P solutions has yet to be fully realized.

Thanks to the worldwide popularity of file-sharing, P2P has gone from being a networking concept to a bonafide household name. But the P2P networking model will still continue to evolve as programmers experiment with new features and explore the open frontier made possible by the P2P paradigm.