Cupertino, CA August 17, 2001 The urge to peek into another's window, whether that window resides in a house or on a monitor, is as impossible to resist as the desire to pop bubble wrap. Somewhere in our psyche resides an innate and overpowering desire to know what the other guy is doing. Call it the Gladys Kravitz gene, after the nosy neighbor on Bewitched. Couple the desire to scour information with a business proposition, and you have yourself a powerful combination. And that's exactly what peer-to-peer (P2P) technology promises.
P2P is, in essence, the promise of the Internet fulfilled. A buyer in Hong Kong boots up his PC and looks into a computer in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam computer has is already looking into one in Levelland, Texas. (Hence, peer-to-peer. ) This exponential increase of connectivity holds tremendous potential, say the gurus. Determining that potential is still to be done.
CommerceNet and PeerIntelligence have launched a research project to look into the possibilities that P2P has for B2B. The study aims to:
- Identify and prioritize areas of opportunity for P2P in B2B environments
- Discover ways to increase market awareness of P2P advantages in B2B scenarios
- Identify the appropriate methods for implementing P2P applications successfully
- Assess the state of readiness for P2P
- Identify key P2P technologies and applications
While P2P has experienced a swift adoption in the consumer world (think Napster), the technology has had limited acceptance in the B2B sector. The new study will provide insights to technology and business managers, with the goal of allowing them to further advance large-scale P2P implementations in the enterprise. "Too much time is squandered developing applications that corporations don't need," says Mark Resch, president and CEO of CommerceNet. "Our goal is to provide the necessary research that will enable P2P developers to quickly and accurately design P2P applications that will be successful within organizations of all sizes."
To thoroughly investigate the wide range of P2P opportunities, CommerceNet has engaged P2P thought leader PeerIntelligence to conduct the study. "Peer-to-peer is both a technology method and a way of working. It is already spurring extraordinary innovations with early adopters that are benefiting from it. This research will elevate the awareness and understanding levels for applying P2P technologies to realize business objectives," says Walid Mougayar, P2P analyst and founding CEO of PeerIntelligence.
Participation in the survey is open to qualified professionals that are interested or involved in peer-to-peer technologies and their impact. Survey respondents will receive a free report analysis outlining key findings. Final results are expected in October 2001.
