 THE NEW NEW THINGS
Peer-to-Peer Networking
P2P networks like Napster's, which allow individual computers to connect and share information without going through a centralized server, are part of a larger shift to distributed computing. Bertelsmann's attempt to tame Napster by developing a way to charge for computer-to-computer swapping of music files will start a trend. But P2P could also change the way networks are used by businesses. For example, in a P2P environment all computers on the network contribute their processing power and storage to the overall effort, meaning wasted computing power within a corporation can be harnessed and used to perform even supercomputing tasks. A note of caution: figuring out the right business model for P2P services will be one of this year's biggest challenges.
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The Year Ahead
Politics
Business
Technology
- Wireless Communications
- Mobile Security
- Broadband
- Portable Gadgets
- Web Appliances
- Future Vision
- Self-Healing Technology
- Synching Up
- Peer-to-Peer Networking
Arts & Media
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