In a post earlier today from their official blog, Google announced that they have joined Internet Society to coordinate a world-wide launch of the next-generation Internet protocol later this year, IPv6. The post explains the urgency of this launch:

IPv6 is the replacement for the current version of the Internet Protocol, IPv4, which is quickly running out of addresses. The original IPv6 specification was published more than 15 years ago, but for the entire career of most Internet engineers its deployment has always been in the future. Now it’s finally here. The widespread deployment of IPv6 paves the way for connecting together the billions of devices that permeate our livesーboth fixed and mobile, from the largest cloud computing services to the smallest sensors.

For Google, World IPv6 Launch means that virtually all our services, including Search, Gmail, YouTube and many more, will be available to the world over IPv6 permanently. Previously, only participants in the Google over IPv6 program (several hundred thousand users, including almost all Google employees [PDF]) have been using it every day. Now we’re including everyone.

Google’s been active in preparing World IPv6 since last year, but IPv4 has been “officially depleted” since they started working with Internet Society. Previously, websites only switched over to IPv6 for a 24-hour dry run, but now the plan is that IPv6 will be here to stay come June. By promoting World IPv6 Launch, Google hopes to persuade websites, ISPs, network device manufacturers, and other online entities to make the permanent switch to IPv6 together.

Although Google says that most users can expect a seamless transition and likely won’t notice anything different after IPv6 turns on, they do encourage people to check out their connections using Google’s test page just to be on the safe side.

Drew Meyer, Senior Director of Marketing for Networking product vendor Netgear shared some thoughts on the transition with WebProNews. 

"It’s a big deal for companies of all sizes because it is a fundamental change in the way the Internet works, but it is also a very subtle transition for most users," says Meyer. "Small businesses that keep older networking hardware in service longer may find they need to upgrade – but only once their networks break down. Channel partners play a key role in educating small and midsized customers."

On what kinds of techniques businesses can embrace while they gear up for the switch to IPv6, Meyer says, "The old and the new (IPv4 and IPv6) will coexist in most networks. Modern servers and software have provisions for dual mode support, but older equipment may require replacement since it cannot support the latest software patches and firmware upgrades. We expect this to happen invisibly as network equipment is refreshed driven by other solutions, like virtualization or mobile access."

"We see it as a side benefit of modernizing midmarket networks and have plans for it across our entire product line of managed, smart and unmanaged switches," he adds.

"Developing markets like China and new applications like mobile devices and home automation demand more Internet connectivity than ever before, so first movers are positioned to become the new leaders of the next generation Internet," he says. "Winners offer simple ways for smaller companies to adopt, and losers will be those vendors who do not educate their channels and end users on the availability of the new function. Midmarket customers purchasing reliable, affordable and simple solutions will be automatically prepared for the IPv6 transition."

World IPv6 Day has been set for June 8. On that day, major web properties like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo will join content delivery networks like Akamai and Limelight Networks for a 24-hour global trial of the new protocol.

"IPv4 has approximately four billion IP addresses (the sequence of numbers assigned to each Internet-connected device)," the Internet Society recently explained, indicating that "the explosion in the number of people, devices and web services on the Internet" is the cause of the depletion. "IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol, which provides over four billion times more space, will connect the billions of people not connected today and will help ensure the Internet can continue its current growth rate." 

"This is truly a major turning point in the on-going development of the Internet," said ICANN President and CEO Rod Beckstrom. "Nobody was caught off guard by this, the Internet technical community has been planning for IPv4 depletion for quite some time. But it means the adoption of IPv6 is now of paramount importance, since it will allow the Internet to continue its amazing growth and foster the global innovation we’ve all come to expect."

World IPv6 day had already been scheduled for June 8. This is a day in which major web properties like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo (the three of which make up a combined billion visits per day) join major content delivery networks like Akamai and Limelight Networks for a 24-hour global trial of IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol. More on this here. Update: Bing has now announced participation in IPv6 day. 

The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) is publishing a daily report of its own IPv4 inventory of available addresses on its home page. It also has a helpful FAQ page set up.  The Number Resource Organization (NRO) has further explanation of the news.

The need for the new protocol arises as the older IPv4 runs out of room. "IPv4 has approximately four billion IP addresses (the sequence of numbers assigned to each Internet-connected device)," the Internet Society explains. "The explosion in the number of people, devices and web services on the Internet means that IPv4 is running out of space. IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol, which provides over four billion times more space, will connect the billions of people not connected today and will help ensure the Internet can continue its current growth rate."

"In the short history of the Internet, the transition to IPv6 is one of the most important steps we will take together to protect the Internet as we know it," says Vint Cerf, Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist and co-inventor of the TCP/IP protocol stack. "It’s as if the Internet was originally designed with a limited number of telephone numbers, and we’re soon going to run out."

Google has actually offered a separate IPv6-only version of search since early 2008. On June 8, Google will try the protocol out on sites like Google.com and YouTube.com.

"The good news is that Internet users don’t need to do anything special to prepare for World IPv6 Day. Our current measurements suggest that the vast majority (99.95%) of users will be unaffected," says Google network engineer Lorenzo Colitti. "However, in rare cases, users may experience connectivity problems, often due to misconfigured or misbehaving home network devices. Over the coming months we will be working with application developers, operating system vendors and network device manufacturers to further minimize the impact and provide testing tools and advice for users."

Adam Bechtel, VP of Yahoo’s Infrastructure Group says, "Participating in World IPv6 Day will allow us to obtain real-life data that we can use to ensure a seamless user experience as we transition to IPv6. We welcome this opportunity to collaborate with the technical community and provide leadership in addressing the scaling challenges facing the Internet."

"As an industry, we’re working together to ensure future generations continue to have open and direct access to the Internet as we do today," adds Jonathan Heiliger, VP of Technical Operations at Facebook. "The number of web-connected devices is exploding, and World IPv6 Day is a crucial step in ensuring they can all communicate."

The Internet Society is calling for other website owners and network operators to take part in the event as well. The organization also has a test you can take to find our your IPv6 readiness.

ICANN says there are just 24 address blocks (each block is about 16-million IP addresses) that it has not yet allocated to the Regional Internet Registries around the globe.

"This is the time for the Internet community to act," said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

"For the global Internet to grow and prosper without limitation, we need to encourage the rapid widespread adoption of the IPv6 protocol."

IPv6 is the new protocol the Internet engineering community designed to deal with the increased demand for IP addresses, which are the unique identifiers that allow computers to communicate with one another over the Internet and to which DNS servers translate domain names. IPv4 addresses contain only 32 bits of data, while IPv6 addresses contain 128 bits.

"Quite simply it comes down to the fact that IPv6 is the future of the Internet," said Beckstrom.

"The Internet now defines communication and commerce and to accommodate its explosive worldwide growth we need to act now to guarantee an online future that accommodates growth with few limitations."

Beckstrom also said it is important for people to understand that many blocks of IPv4 addresses that have been allocated to registries have not yet been distributed to the public, so there will be no immediate global shortage of IPv4 addresses at the consumer level.
 

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"In the short term, businesses and public authorities might be tempted to try to squeeze their needs into the strait jacket of the old system, but this would mean Europe is badly placed to take advantage of the latest internet technology, and could face a crisis when the old system runs out of addresses," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media.

"IPv6 provides more addresses in cyberspace than there are grains of sand on the world’s beaches, " said Reding.

IPv4 provides 4.3 billion addresses, with about 700 million or 16 percent available for new connections. The new Internet protocol, IPv6, will make an almost unlimited amount of IP-addresses available along with supporting new applications.

The Commissions wants the most important Web sites in Europe to take the lead on the initiative and hopes to receive commitments from at least 100 top European Web site operators, including broadcasters or online news services, before the end of 2008.
 

For starters, the Internet runs on version 4 of the Internet Protocol. It was standardized 1981, and serves as the dominant network layer protocol for the Internet. IPv4 has since proved to be inadequate, primarily for its lack of address space.

The good news is IPv4 has a successor, which is IPv6. Version 6 of the Internet Protocol holds more than 16 billion-billion addresses, unlike IPv4 that holds just over 4 billion.

Some companies are beginning to administer IPv6 and are using both IPv4 and IPv6 together. In time, IPv4 will run out of addresses and need to phase out. At that point, the Web will operate solely on IPv6.

Critics argue that IPv6 is incapable of taking over. However, John Curran the Chairman of the Board at the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) says this is an inaccurate assumption.

“In the Internet community, the way we figure out if something works or not is by using it… getting feedback. That usage is really just beginning now.”

The Internet as we know it cannot run on IPv4. While the matter isn’t so urgent that you have to drop everything you’re doing and switch to IPv6 immediately, it is something that companies and organizations should begin to carefully examine.

Get more information on this topic in the WebProNews video.

For starters, the Internet runs on version 4 of the Internet Protocol. It was standardized 1981, and serves as the dominant network layer protocol for the Internet. IPv4 has since proved to be inadequate, primarily for its lack of address space.

The good news is IPv4 has a successor, which is IPv6. Version 6 of the Internet Protocol holds more than 16 billion-billion addresses, unlike IPv4 that holds just over 4 billion.

Some companies are beginning to administer IPv6 and are using both IPv4 and IPv6 together. In time, IPv4 will run out of addresses and need to phase out. At that point, the Web will operate solely on IPv6.

Critics argue that IPv6 is incapable of taking over. However, John Curran the Chairman of the Board at the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) says this is an inaccurate assumption.

“In the Internet community, the way we figure out if something works or not is by using it… getting feedback. That usage is really just beginning now.”

The Internet as we know it cannot run on IPv4. While the matter isn’t so urgent that you have to drop everything you’re doing and switch to IPv6 immediately, it is something that companies and organizations should begin to carefully examine.

Get more information on this topic in the WebProNews video.

For starters, the Internet runs on version 4 of the Internet Protocol. It was standardized 1981, and serves as the dominant network layer protocol for the Internet. IPv4 has since proved to be inadequate, primarily for its lack of address space.

The good news is IPv4 has a successor, which is IPv6. Version 6 of the Internet Protocol holds more than 16 billion-billion addresses, unlike IPv4 that holds just over 4 billion.

Some companies are beginning to administer IPv6 and are using both IPv4 and IPv6 together. In time, IPv4 will run out of addresses and need to phase out. At that point, the Web will operate solely on IPv6.

Critics argue that IPv6 is incapable of taking over. However, John Curran the Chairman of the Board at the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) says this is an inaccurate assumption.

“In the Internet community, the way we figure out if something works or not is by using it… getting feedback. That usage is really just beginning now.”

The Internet as we know it cannot run on IPv4. While the matter isn’t so urgent that you have to drop everything you’re doing and switch to IPv6 immediately, it is something that companies and organizations should begin to carefully examine.

Get more information on this topic in the WebProNews video.

For starters, the Internet runs on version 4 of the Internet Protocol. It was standardized 1981, and serves as the dominant network layer protocol for the Internet. IPv4 has since proved to be inadequate, primarily for its lack of address space.

The good news is IPv4 has a successor, which is IPv6. Version 6 of the Internet Protocol holds more than 16 billion-billion addresses, unlike IPv4 that holds just over 4 billion.

Some companies are beginning to administer IPv6 and are using both IPv4 and IPv6 together. In time, IPv4 will run out of addresses and need to phase out. At that point, the Web will operate solely on IPv6.

Critics argue that IPv6 is incapable of taking over. However, John Curran the Chairman of the Board at the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) says this is an inaccurate assumption.

“In the Internet community, the way we figure out if something works or not is by using it… getting feedback. That usage is really just beginning now.”

The Internet as we know it cannot run on IPv4. While the matter isn’t so urgent that you have to drop everything you’re doing and switch to IPv6 immediately, it is something that companies and organizations should begin to carefully examine.

Get more information on this topic in the WebProNews video.