What Should an Engineer Address when 'Selling' IPv6 to Executives?

Thu Mar 7 13:48:27 UTC 2013

	Pretty much the same process that I have seen in many ISPs and enterprises.

Regards.
as

On 07/03/2013 11:32, John Curran wrote:
> On Mar 7, 2013, at 5:42 AM, Arturo Servin <aservin at lacnic.net> wrote:
> 
>> 	Yes, but this is an argument to deploy the whole IPv6 thing, not against a strategy to first deploy in-house and then to customers, isn't it?
>> 	In my experience, it is always best to try IPv6 in-house (at least a small office, a group, etc.) and then move to customers, YMMV.
> 
> Presuming a medium/small service provider, the most typical sequence 
> that I've been hearing runs something like this:
> 
> 1. Engineers internally experiment with IPv6 on an individual basis
>    (lab, tunnels, virtual servers, etc.)   Doesn't always happen,
>    but the ones that don't are making their own gamble regarding 
>    their skills and career trajectory.
> 
> 2. Some formal recognition by the network team of need to gain IPv6 
>    experience; this can be equipment for a "real" lab, formal training,
>    minor investment in external firewalls to bring up to spec, etc.
> 
> 3. The network folks start arranging for real IPv6 connectivity from
>    the outside, this could be transit or peering, and begin working
>    on plans for the "network backbone" to be fully dual-stack.
> 
> 4. The "talk" with IT regarding IPv6, and acceptance of the concept
>    that it would be nice if the web site had some minimal support
>    (yes, maybe not the customer ticketing/feedback system, or every
>    page, but at least the major content sections.)   This leads to 
>    the idea that IT will test new web rollouts with IPv6, and the 
>    need therefore to get IPv6 to some of the integration/QA folks.
> 
> 5. IT/internal network team realization that they have to get IPv6 
>    internally to some of the Internet network team, some of the 
>    developers, and that means that the "corporate" network really
>    does need to support IPv6, and that means those firewalls, and
>    management and training for the internal corporate network team.
> 
> 6. Several meetings with marketing and sales trying to explain that
>    other organizations (i.e. customers are doing the same thing, and 
>    a general mismatch in expectations since the vast majority of 
>    customers have never uttered "IPv6" to anyone in sales/marketing.
> 
> 7. Slow but steady internal progress on IPv6 deployment in the company, 
>    all while waiting for sales/marketing to recognize the need for IPv6
>    services for customers.
> 
> 8. One key event (often a customer RFP requirement, or a sale lost due
>    to lack of IPv6 support) occurs, which then brings the lack of IPv6 
>    into focus as a competitive issue, and subsequent discussions about 
>    budget/investment for adding IPv6 support to the service catalog.
> 
> YMMV, and every organization is a little different, but the common theme 
> is that the more awareness that we can generate in CIO/IT industry about 
> the IPv4 constraints facing the Internet network industry, the faster 
> that IPv6 will happen...
> 
> /John
> 
> 
> 
> 