Johannesburg, 09 Jun 2016
Technological advances are a bit like gravity. It affects you even when you are not thinking about it. While gravity is great for necessities such as rainfall, it can also be bad for you when you step off the edge of a cliff. Similarly, the advent of IPv6 technology is an important and necessary development, but only for those who know how to mitigate its risks, says Edward Lawrence, Business Development Director, Workonline Communications.
Those who like to fiddle around with their iPad settings, or read the IT pages from time to time may have noticed mention being made of IPv6. While this may get lost among all the other IT jargon that we are subjected to, it is a change that opens up a multitude of opportunities.
At first glance, IPv6 (Internet Protocol version six) is a simple adjustment. Everything that connects to the Internet needs an Internet protocol address, a string of numbers, to do so. Before, these addresses were regulated by IPv4, but they are now running out. IPv6 uses a longer number sequence that allows for an exponentially greater unique number of addresses. In technical terms, the existing IPv4 notation has been extended from 32 bits to 128 bits per IP address.
One of the reasons that so many new addresses are required is due to the advent of the Internet of things (IOT), where almost any electrical device can benefit from being connected to the Internet. Through the use of your phone, you could send messages to your oven to start heating as you leave from work, or for the kettle to start boiling as you get out of bed. You would be able to tell your TV to record your favourite show from your laptop - from a different country. Power consumption management will be much easier and your car will be able to tell you when it needs new spark plugs.
It is predicted that 30 billion objects will be connected to the Internet by 2020. As IPv4 only accommodates just over 4 billion objects, the need for a new protocol is clear. With IPv6, around 4 000 addresses can be allocated to every human on earth.
As mentioned, many handheld devices are already IPv6 ready, which means we are future ready - whether we knew it or not.
The advantages of the IOT extend beyond leisure, however. Interconnectedness of devices allow for interventions that could keep you safe. Police data could be used to demarcate certain areas as high crime spots. If you walk through these areas late at night, and suddenly your watch registers an elevated heart rate, you might be in danger. Your phone will send you a message, and if you do not respond, an automatic distress call would be sent to the police. Similarly, your smoke detectors could call the fire brigade, or your pool safety net could call you if there is pressure on it. The possible applications are endless.
The IOT offers many manufacturers the opportunity to bring new devices and functionalities to market that are sure to capture the imagination of consumers. Time to market will be crucial, and in such a rushed environment, security deployments are often weak or even non-existent.
It is therefore important for any business or individual with security concerns to talk to an IPv6 expert to ensure that they unlock the benefits of the new protocol, while also protecting themselves against the potential risks.
Workonline Communications is a valued, trusted provider of carrier and specialised services in Sub-Saharan Africa, and aims to accelerate the deployment of IPv6 in Africa. Workonline hopes to facilitate skills development and improve operational knowledge of the new protocol within the African service provider community, by providing zero-cost access to the global IPv6 Internet for African networks. The offer by Workonline is available at the Teraco data centre facilities in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Networks interested in taking Workonline up on this offer should contact sales@workonline.co.za for further details.
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