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Abstract. Existing e-marketplaces, built on traditional client-server architectures, severely restrict the scope and dynamics of Business-to-Business (B2B) interactions. Peer-to-peer (P2P) architectures will provide far more decentralised infrastructures, while allowing a much wider range of business patterns to take place. On one hand, the interaction over a P2P network resembles the way real-world enterprises perform business with each other. On the other hand, a small set of simple services is enough to support complex business processes over a P2P infrastructure. Incidentally, most of the required technology is readily available, though it may be necessary to bring in an appropriate integration of different concepts. The paper discusses the implementation of essential services for P2P e-marketplaces, based on one of the leading P2P platforms, and illustrates its benefits by applying the P2P approach to a vendor of industrial equipment.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how workflow management can be applied in the context of business networking.Design/methodology/approachThe paper looks at workflow management systems (WfMSs) as an enterprise integration tool and, as such, it shows that WfMS require an appropriate integration infrastructure. The paper then describes how a WfMS that supports business networking can be built.FindingsIt is found that business networking requires a decentralized, peer‐to‐peer (P2P) integration infrastructure. On the other hand, it is found that it is possible to develop a generic and reusable workflow engine. Both components are then integrated in order to come up with a solution that supports business networking.Research limitations/implicationsIssues concerning information and document management are not addressed. Neither mechanisms of storage and retrieval of exchanged documents, nor the format/structure of those documents are specified.Practical implicationsThe paper assumes that enterprises will be willing to build up a P2P network where they will conduct their business‐to‐business (B2B) exchanges. Then, the proposed solution would allow their business processes to be linked without requiring tight coupling between their information systems.Originality/valueThe paper is useful to IT strategists and researchers dealing with WfMS, B2B integration architectures and applications of P2P technology.