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Is IPv6 a hot topic again in the wake of the increased coverage of the looming IPv4 address depletion? This was the theme of a coffee break discussion we had at the recent MENOG3 conference in Kuwait. With as many opinions as participants, I turned to "Google Trend” to help me get a better feel. That astonishing little tool analyzes the frequency of searches on a particular word or set of words through the Google search universe. Google Trend provides a graphic representation of search volumes and reference volume over time starting in January 2004. Using IPv6 as search word and varying the time line indeed provided some interesting perspective and tidbits on when and where IPv6 seems to be or have been a hot topic indeed.

Conclusion? After a steady decline of interest in the subject, at least since early 2004, the last 12 months have seen a rise, admittedly modest, in both the number of searches and the reference volume on IPv6. This should indeed confirm that, if not necessarily as hot topic as it once was, there is a new groundswell of interest in IPv6.

Another recurring coffee break discussion is whether Asia and Europe are really ahead of the USA in things IPv6. Looking at the global geographical distribution of IPv6 searches since January 2004, Asia's interest in the topic is evident with South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, India and China filling the top spots followed by Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy to round off the top ten.

Restricting the timeline to 2008 so far, we find France and the USA joining the top ten to the detriment of Finland and Italy.

Google Trend's top IPv6 city in the world so far in 2008: San Jose, California! Don't count out the USA yet! And Europe remains in the race; there will even be a EU sponsored European IPv6 day on May 30th.

IPv6 a hot topic again?

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these articles are solely those of the author and are not in any way attributable to nor reflect any existing or planned official policy or position of his employer in respect thereto.

By Yves Poppe, Director, Business Development IP Strategy at Tata Communications. (Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these articles are solely those of the author and are not in any way attributable to nor reflect any existing or planned official policy or position of his employer in respect thereto.)

Related topics: IPv6