AT&T Advocates IPv6 Preparation for Businesses

By Nathan Kirsch

AT&T recently announced that it is providing consulting services to help businesses of all sizes transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), The company also outlined the steps it has taken to make its own network and services ready to make the shift to IPv6. To ensure companies are prepared, AT&T is encouraging businesses to:

  • Start with Internet facing services. Establish an IPv6 Internet presence.
  • Perform a readiness assessment. Identify non-IPv6 compliant hosts, servers, applications, carrier services, and network equipment that are used to provide both internal and external IP services.
  • Define IPv6 transition timelines incorporating testing and piloting of IPv6 functionality.
  • Assess current IPv4 footprint and identify likely IPv6 triggers private exhaust, mobile, public exhaust, customers, partners.
  • Upgrade infrastructure for dual stack IP services that support both IPv4 and IPv6.
  • Address application enablement for internet facing services management and security model are keys.

In the not-too-distant future, everything from mobile phones and PCs to automobiles, gaming stations and home appliances will be assigned its own unique Internet IPv6 addresses, said Dale McHenry, vice president of Enterprise Data Networks at AT&T. Each of these devices will be trying to connect over IPv6 to corporate URLs, he said. Businesses need to realize the importance of early action and start planning their transition, said McHenry.

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