“We believe that [by] adopting IPv6 and restructuring our network routers and servers, we can deliver faster and more reliable and secure client solutions,” Demeter says. Also, Korn/Ferry employees use BlackBerry mobile devices to access key company executive search data, and Demeter wants to explore the potential of IPv6 for providing additional mobile services.

Among top benefits, IPv6 promises a significant increase in the number of addresses available for networked devices such as mobile phones, and simpler administration of networks.

But Demeter says Korn/Ferry is in the exploration stage, with no firm time frame for a pilot test. “Our approach is to focus on the areas where we can derive the most benefits and move ahead in gradual fashion as our experience grows and as we ensure that all the infrastructure components are compatible with IPv6.”

He’s not alone. Federal government agencies are mandated by the Office of Management and Budget to move their network backbones to IPv6 by June 2008—and so are the contractors that do business with agencies. But outside that space, few organizations seem to be deploying the standard. Research firm Gartner estimates enterprise adoption at less than 1 percent.

Should IPv6 be on your drawing board yet? Consider the key issues and the experiences of early adopters carefully.

Few Business Drivers for IPv6
Several factors are fueling the sluggish adoption rate. A study by Cisco in 2006 cited the lack of dedicated funding and IT staff for IPv6 implementations.

Another hurdle: “The fact that IPv6 implementation is viewed more as a technology issue than a business benefits driver probably also is an obstacle to its immediate widespread adoption in the U.S.,” says Michael A. Gold, a senior partner in the litigation group of Los Angeles law firm Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro and cochair of the firm’s Discovery Technology Group.

“This is very shortsighted in terms of global competition,” Gold says. “In the not-too-distant future, many home appliances—even dog collars—will be Internet connected. Many automobiles are connected today. Each of these devices will require using an Internet address in order to communicate across the network.”