OMB's continuing push to IPv6

OMB driving the IPv6 market A long-delayed Commerce Department report suggests that the federal government is walking a thin line in its push toward IP Version 6 traction.

On one hand, the government shouldn’t intervene in the market, but let the business requirements of agencies and companies drive the development of IPv6 products and services, a task force of public and private experts said. On the other hand, the Office of Management and Budget’s plans for agencies to move to the new protocol is in a sense creating the IPv6 market. [GCN]

I have discussed, in depth and in print, the issues related to the Federal government's adoption of IPv6 and why it really is not a good idea. This is not to say that IPv6 is not a good idea. I believe the adoption of the new protocol will come, but the idea of it being driven by the least technical of sectors is one of those you're kidding, right? issues.

For the Federal government to adopt IPv6, major systemic changes have to occur, both in technological adoption practices as well as management, hiring and training. All of these changes have to occur and in a fairly short period of time. Short and change are not words that are associated with any governmental system, much less the operations that are the United States government. Further, there has to be products in place to support the move. This is not a trivial issue, and currently key pieces of the infrastructure just do not exist and putting band-aids in place to make them work is worse than not having the products there in the first place because 20 years from now the band-aids will still be in place.

IPv6 will come to the United States, but it will be a move driven by the tech sector and a killer app, not be the forced adoption of the Federal government.