While not federally mandated to begin transitioning to IP Version 6, US state and local government leaders are becoming very conscious of the potential challenges of the eventual migration. Diligent IT leaders can successfully prepare for the demands of tomorrow by beginning with a few simple and practical strategic measures today.
Why Should Local Governments Be Concerned?
The transition to IP Version 6 (IPv6), the next generation IP addressing standard, has been met with a largely tepid response in the North American private sector. While moving to the new standard will prove beneficial in the long term, IT departments have been slow to take action due to the lack of compelling business cases for upgrades. Realistically, for the SME, the value in the opportunities promised with IPv6 will not materialize until a significant number of larger organizations and network operators are running the new protocol.