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IPv6 is the cure for the looming shortage of Internet addresses, but the complexity of the migration is making it tough medicine.

Everything from conventional computing devices to objects with sensors and actuators is using the Internet to communicate. And developments in fields such as nanotech and biotech promise to create even more Internet traffic. Each device on the Internet has a distinct address and connects using Internet Protocol (IP). IPv4 is the standard widely in use. But it’s ancient in terms of Internet time, dating back to the 1970s, and we’re rapidly running out of IPv4 addresses. IPv6 is the new standard that’s poised to come to the rescue, but adoption has been perilously slow so far.

IPv6 promises to keep everyone and everything connected because the technology allows for so many more addresses. How many more? If the number of addresses supported by IPv4 were one drop of water, the number of addresses supported by IPv6 would amount to the oceans of six earths in comparison. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that even though the growth of IP traffic is accelerating, fewer IPv6 addresses were allocated in 2012 than 2011. The even worse news is that regional Internet registries are running out of IPv4 addresses. South and Southeast Asia and Australia have already exhausted the supply, and Europe, the rest of Asia, and the Middle East are about to follow suit. North America is expected to exhaust its supply of IPv4 addresses by the middle of next year. In all regions, the percentage of networks announcing an IPv6 prefix represents just a slice of a much larger pie.

Why is adoption so slow? Enterprises need to first locate IPv4 addresses in network hardware, devices, and the application stack before they can even begin the migration process. In addition to converting thousands of devices and codes, a medium to large enterprise would need to convert firewalls, routers, and scores of distribution switches.

The following infographic provides an overview of the need for action and why it will be so complex and time-consuming.

To enlarge, click here or on graphic.