CSC, Global Crossing Implement IPv6 On Their Networks

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) and Global Crossing are getting a jump on deploying IPv6 and said Monday that IPv6 capability has been implemented across their networks.

The new implementation is aimed primarily at federal agencies, which are mandated to deploy IPv6, they said. The advanced Internet protocol offers several improvements over IPv4.

"We're offering a seamless migration path to IPv6," Alan Rosenberg, Global Crossing's vice president of partnership development, said in an interview. "There's a strong customer base in the federal community." CSC serves millions of local and wide area network customers through its Enterprise Network Managed Services Center of Excellence, a testing and innovation facility.

IPv6 is interoperable with IPv4, and Rosenberg also noted that some operating systems currently in use like Apple and Linux operating systems can function with IPv6 over CSC-Global Crossing networks. "And we're enabling IPv6 for Microsoft Vista, too," said Rosenberg. "When they (users) need it, it will be there for them."

"For the past five years, Global Crossing has been pioneering the adoption of IPv6 across the industry to create a more secure and scalable Internet protocol standard," he added.Global Crossing and CSC began looking ahead to IPv6 in 2001 when they formed a strategic alliance leveraging CSC's IT offerings and Global Crossing's global IP-based network. The new network enhancements were deployed after Global Crossing designed a customized network for CSC.

Dave Bittenbender, vice president of CSC's Networks and Telecommunications Integrated Solutions division, said CSC has a special effort to bring IPv6 to its federal customers. The Office of Management and Budget stipulates IPv6 be added to federal government network backbones by June 2008, he said.

In IPv6, advanced communications solutions are added, bringing network intelligence, flexibility and scalability to new levels. Also, mobile IP networking is enhanced, security is improved, and mobile IP networking is beefed up in IPv6.