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IPv6 and the Business-Case Skeptics

Posted by kdawson on from the there-is-none-get-over-it dept.

Julie188 writes "Experts keep screaming that the IPv4 sky is falling. Three such experts were recently asked point-blank to state an irrefutable business case for moving to IPv6 now, and their answer was more plausible than the old refrain (the lack of addresses and a yet-to-be-seen killer IPv6 app). They said that there isn't a business case. No company that is satisfied with all of its Internet services will need to move, even in the next few years. They also pointed out that Microsoft is a unique position in the industry both causing and hindering IPv6 adoption — causing through its IPv6 support in its OSes, and hindering by not extending IPv6 support into very many of its apps."

2 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. Here's mine: by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "Boss, I can get an IPv6 tunnel for free so that we can start experimenting and testing. We work with the Department of Defense, and they say that this stuff is important, so with your permission I'd like to spend $0 to start playing with it."

    And that's how we came to be on IPv6.

    --
    Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  2. Re:You want a business case? by mea37 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Maybe you could build a business case around one or more of those, but what you've really got there are just marketing angles.

    The question is, how is this going to make/save me money? More specifically, how will it make/save me more money than investing the input capital in some other way?

    • Being able to say I'm the first to have it? Well, that might be worth soemthing for one company in any given industry, if that company's customers care about IPv6 for some reason.
    • Unless whatever kitschy thing I might do can only be done with IPv6, I can do it cheaper without the IPv6 conversion and get the same buzz; so to make this a business case you need a specific "something kitschy".
    • Attention of early adopters might be of value in some markets, but without some detailed projections I'd be hard pressed to invest in an entire network overhaul for marketing buzz.

    I'm not saying the business case does or doesn't exist, but until you've tied it to dollars and cents (or better yet NPV), you haven't made what most people would take as a compelling business case.