Our approach to IPv6

Moving from IPv4 to IPv6 offers a number of complex technical and commercial challenges for businesses, including Gen-i.

For two years Telecom has been running a native IPv6 international Internet peering and transit network to better understand the architectural and operational implications of the new protocol.

For our business customers, our goal is to enable our clients to take advantage of the benefits of IPv6, ensuring seamless and transparent access to their offices, partners and providers here in New Zealand and globally through the use of our IPv6 enabled Internet services.

Telecom are drawing on the experience gained by Gen-i with our business clients to make IPv6 capabilities more widely available once consumer grade home network equipment and services become more commonly available.

Telecom Group is already working on a number of projects to advance our IPv6 capability which includes:

• building our internal skill base and knowledge
• building on our international peering capabilities
• auditing our networks and applications to ensure the functionality of IPv6 is maximized
• building test environments to see how IPv6 will perform with our existing and new products and services
• ensuring IPv6 capability is included in new product designs
• and, of course, working with our clients to identify how and when IPv6 may impact their business.

Our focus is not only enabling technology, but enabling the end to end processes that support the use of this technology including our people, systems, delivery and ongoing service management.

Gen-i is bringing IPv6 to our clients through:

• IPv6 training provided by Auldhouse
• Providing a network testing lab for clients
• Enabling the IPv6 capability within our network product suite – including Gen-i Internet and WAN Services
• Offering audits of clients' systems and business requirements by our design and professional services team

So what should your business expect?

IPv6 will inevitably impact all businesses at some stage. Eventually there will be IPv6 devices such as network equipment, PDA’s, mobiles and tablets that will need to be connected to your business systems.  Some of your overseas suppliers and partners may run IPv6 networks or websites that you need to access.

But this also brings the opportunity to simplify your network management and move to a cleaner, more powerful and more efficient network architecture.  There are some exciting times ahead in the move to IPv6.  So, if you want to know more about IPv6 or your network equipment is coming up for renewal, now is a good time to talk to Gen-i.