P2P is growing in popularity and in a good way. It is not being looked at as the villain of the internet as strongly as it once was. P2P systems are providing some important functions. However, as the popularity of it grows, more and more expectations are being placed upon it.
Standards
One of the biggest concerns and challenges that comes with P2P systems as they continue to grow in popularity is that, as yet, there are no real standards to govern them. A framework has to be constructed for this. As new companies enter into the development of P2P like Microsoft and Intel, they are industriously working on devising and structuring their own standards.
Reliability
Reliability of P2P systems is going to be of the essence in future. If they are going to replace traditional server applications, this is critically important.
Efficiency
Consumers are only going to invest in resources that can be used for convenience. Convenience relies on efficiency. If there are too many pitfalls and hurdles to overcome with the use of P2P systems, they will soon be side-lined.
Scalability
Clients will want to be able to customize P2P systems to fit in with their wants and needs. They are not going to invest in segments that do not fully meet with their expectations.
Portability
The ease of use of P2P systems is going to include portability. Being able to access from any location in a variety of different ways will becom
e a priority.
With all of this in progress there is no doubt there is a strong future for peer-to-peer systems. These systems will rely on technology, and new technology will have to be constantly developed and brought forward. Enterprises are open to new concepts, but they want proof of viability and a strong foundation on which they can justify their investments.
P2P systems have the opportunity to come out of the dark and put the bad reputation behind them that has been so prominent because of the illegal uses of P2P systems. The systems themselves are not illegal. The material that is being shared is not illegal either, but it becomes so when it is being distributed without license and without remuneration for its creator, be that a software engineer, film company, record label or musician.