IPv6 tips for business continuity when address space runs out

By SMBWorld Asia Editors | Sep 6, 2010

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With the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses expected to be exhausted as early next year, now is the time for businesses and government agencies across the globe to prepare for a smooth transition to the next-generation Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). 

According to ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers), fewer than 5.5 percent of IPv4 addresses remain. Organizations need to plan now to ensure that e-mail, Web and business applications will be accessible via both protocols once version 4 runs out.

Having been in the bussiness of development, testing and allocation of IPv6 addressing, Verizon Business is offering the following tips to smooth the transition:

Determine business impact.
Gain an understanding of the IPv4 address depletion situation and IPv6 address transition by reading up on studies by industry analysts and other experts.  Answer these questions:  Is your network continuing to expand into new locations that will require publicly-routed IP addressing?  Does your business depend on the Internet for ecommerce or content hosting?  (Consumer-focused businesses and online social networks, for example, may be among the first wave to be affected by the IPv4 address depletion.) 

How do IPv6-centric applications such as Windows Direct Access affect your business?  And how will 4G wireless networks -- the fourth generation IPv6-centric wireless standard – affect the connectivity of smart phones and wireless network appliances to your organization’s infrastructure?

Determine if your service provider has a plan.
Learn your service provider’s timelines for delivering IPv6 coverage, the provider’s implementation methods for connecting your business to the IPv4 and IPv6-addressed Internets, and how these methods will affect your business if, for example, you rely on geographical IP reporting or your network transports time-sensitive information.