Study: Peer-to-Peer and File Sharing Market to Be a $100 Billion Industry by 2012

On Wednesday, The Insight Research Corporation issued a statement in which the market research firm says the global market for peer-to-peer and file sharing services is anticipated to generate about $100 million in revenue for carriers and ISPs over the next four years. More and more cellular and wireline service providers offer authentic, legal file-sharing and downloading services tailored to the increasingly demanding requirements of end-users.

Peer-to-peer and file sharing services are widely available on fixed line and mobile networks, says the research group. What's more, carriers' revenues from the use of peer-to-peer and file sharing services in Asia are almost twice that of what they're bringing in from North America, indicating a truly global trend and leaving plenty of room for expansion in the West and North America.

There is a global push by carriers to create new and innovative IP-enabled services for consumers as well as business uses. The study notes that buyers of mobile and fixed line telecommunications services are intertwining peer-to-peer and file sharing services along with other IP-enabled services like video telephone abilities, fixed-mobile convergence, presence, streaming, and location-based services.

One of the most emblematic developments along these lines has been the introduction and thus far grand success of Apple Corporation's iPhone.

Recent research suggest that Apple might very well sell over 800,000 copies of the revolutionary device, which combines cell phone, video, "real" Internet, e-mail, music playing, and text messaging capabilities in the most coherent, user-friendly, and comprehensive format yet produced by any business within the huge industry, in the next quarter. Apple's original projected sales were 730,000 for the quarter.

In addition, Apple has just signed three deals with three different mobile networks to sell its iPhone in Europe.