IPv6 Targeted By Tony Investment Group

Powerhouse private equity firm the Carlyle Group moved Thursday to stake out a position in the coming IPv6 market by investing in Command Information, a start-up firm targeting government organizations and Fortune 1000 companies with advanced Internet solutions.

Also investing with the Carlyle Group is Novak Biddle Venture Partners, a Maryland-based venture capital firm. Command Information, headed by Tom Patterson, former chief strategist of e-commerce at IBM, also announced Thursday that CI has merged with Digital Focus, an IT services company.

"IPv6 is vital to the future competitiveness of industry and government," said Carlyle's Charles Rossotti, senior partner, in a statement.

Command Information said Digital Focus, which has more than 75 employees, will operate as a separate company. The decade-old Digital Focus has provided software development, agile software, coaching, and IT consulting services to a variety of firms.

"Our merger with Command Information will create the first entity designed to address a company's entire Iv6 migration," said Dianne Houghton, CEO of Digital Focus, in a statement.The Carlyle Group is amply populated with former governmental and political leaders. Former IBM chairman Louis V. Gerstner Jr., was named chairman in 2002. Another member of the top management team is William E. Kennard, former FCC chairman. Political leaders who have occupied posts at Carlyle include former President George H. W. Bush and former U.K. Prime Minister John Major.

Carlyle, which has more than $35 billion under management, says on its Web home page that its "mission is to be the premier global private equity firm."