Despite what many think, the enterprise is deploying IPv6
IPv6 deploying in the enterprise sector is moving at a relatively rapid pace.
By Donna DonnowitzAugust 24, 2011
According to a report in Network World, there is a feeling amongst many in the IT industry that companies are not deploying IPv6. However, this may not actually be the case.
Despite what has been printed in many blogs and articles from industry experts, businesses in the enterprise sector are adopting IPv6.
The report says that, for years, journalists and vendors have contended that the enterprise sector has had no reason to deploy the new protocol. Still, the truth is that enterprises have been and are deploying IPv6 at an ever-increasing rate. So much so that many IT professionals are having trouble keeping up with the demand for design and deployment guidance.
The misperception, says the report, stems from the fact that enterprises, unlike service providers, have never had a real reason to inform the public when they are deploying IPv6. In the service provider world, companies need to tell everyone they can what their plans and capabilities are for two reasons.
First, these firms need to keep their existing customer bases from leaving them for competitors due to insufficient support for IPv6. Secondly, these companies need to steal clients away from their competitors who are lacking sufficient IPv6 support. Client companies, on the other hand, historically were never motivated to inform anyone of their IPv6 progress.
However, the report says that this paradigm might be changing. Many companies that tended to stay tight-lipped about their IPv6 deployments are now considering a policy of promulgating their progress. The reason is so that their corporate image will portray them as being prepared for the future. Interestingly enough, the misperception about enterprises not deploying IPv6 is not the only common misperception about IPv6.
According to a different report from Network World, another common misperception is that when IPv6 is deployed the network team owns the deployment. Often times the network team within IT will execute the entire design and in some cases even start the installation of IPv6 in complete isolation.
While the network team may include a few of the security professionals for the sake of due diligence, this is often where the sharing ends. The report states that enterprise deployments that take far too long or fail completely are nearly all due to internal company political issues where the network team does not include any other part of IT.
Despite what has been printed in many blogs and articles from industry experts, businesses in the enterprise sector are adopting IPv6.
The report says that, for years, journalists and vendors have contended that the enterprise sector has had no reason to deploy the new protocol. Still, the truth is that enterprises have been and are deploying IPv6 at an ever-increasing rate. So much so that many IT professionals are having trouble keeping up with the demand for design and deployment guidance.
The misperception, says the report, stems from the fact that enterprises, unlike service providers, have never had a real reason to inform the public when they are deploying IPv6. In the service provider world, companies need to tell everyone they can what their plans and capabilities are for two reasons.
First, these firms need to keep their existing customer bases from leaving them for competitors due to insufficient support for IPv6. Secondly, these companies need to steal clients away from their competitors who are lacking sufficient IPv6 support. Client companies, on the other hand, historically were never motivated to inform anyone of their IPv6 progress.
However, the report says that this paradigm might be changing. Many companies that tended to stay tight-lipped about their IPv6 deployments are now considering a policy of promulgating their progress. The reason is so that their corporate image will portray them as being prepared for the future. Interestingly enough, the misperception about enterprises not deploying IPv6 is not the only common misperception about IPv6.
According to a different report from Network World, another common misperception is that when IPv6 is deployed the network team owns the deployment. Often times the network team within IT will execute the entire design and in some cases even start the installation of IPv6 in complete isolation.
While the network team may include a few of the security professionals for the sake of due diligence, this is often where the sharing ends. The report states that enterprise deployments that take far too long or fail completely are nearly all due to internal company political issues where the network team does not include any other part of IT.
