Taken from PC World Magazine, September 2010 Edition

The internet promises unlimited connectivity, but the current addressing plan, in place since the late 1970s, is running out of addresses, and a new scheme called IPv6 is being put into place to power the Net’s next stage of growth.

For small businesses that plan ahead, the shift can enhance computing security, reliability, and performance.  But waiting now may mean costly equipment upgrades to avoid outages.

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), created almost 30 years ago, formats internet addresses in a quartet of numbers such as 72.42.185.10 (this 32-bit address space allows around 4 billion possible addresses – a number we are rapidly approaching).

In 1998, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) ratified a new Internet protocol, IPv6.  It shifts to a 128-bit IP address space (each broken into hexadecimal groups), providing some 340 undecillion (340 times 10 to the 36th power) possible addresses.

Small businesses (and some home users) will have to ensure that all network equipment and software is ready for IPv6 at the switchover time.  Planning ahead will help prevent iterruptions.  It will also allow you to buy equipment and services at negotiated prices rather than on an emergency basis.

If your small business uses the Internet mostly for e-mail and instant messaging, making sure equipment is IPv6 compatible shour suffice.  But if you have begin building cloud apps or if you have complex online workings, planning now may prevent Internet outages later.

The major points of concern are your IPS, your network infrastructure, and servers/workstations/devices.  If you need help deterimining if you are IPv6 ready, please contact your local IT company.