Versa Networks' SD-WAN and SD-Security solutions now support both IPv4 and IPv6-based SD-WANs.

Elizabeth Miller Coyne, Managing Editor

February 15, 2017

2 Min Read
Versa Adds IPv6 Support to SD-WAN Suite

Versa Networks is prepping for a digital future where IoT devices are plenty and IPv4 addresses are scarce by announcing that its SD-WAN and SD-Security solutions can support both IPv4 and IPv6-based SD-WANs.

Because software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) technology is integrated with Internet technology, IPv6 will be essential to its future success, says Kumar Mehta, founder and chief development officer of Versa Networks . The company says it is unique in providing this support in the SD-WAN market.

"It's widely recognized that IPv4 address space was made when there were not that many mobile or IoT devices on the market," Mehta tells Light Reading. "The IPv4 space is only going to get worse and eventually the folks using new SD-WAN services are going to want to make sure that the solution they buy is IPv6-ready from the get-go."

In addition, many MSOs have already deployed IPv6 30 percent to 50 percent of their customer base, he says. "On top of that, providers in the Far East and India, depending on the country, their deployment of IPv6 is 50 percent."

According to Versa's announcement today, IPv6 adoption stands at 26.1 percent in the US, and in many European countries it ranges from 25 percent to 49 percent. Statistics from Google show the percentage of users that access Google over IPv6 has markedly increased. For example, in January 2015, only about 6 percent of Google users accessed Google over IPv6. In January 2016, that number climbed to about 10 percent, and in January 2017, the number jumped to roughly 16 percent. (See Versa Announces Support for IPv4- & IPv6-based SD-WANs.)

Mehta says the reasoning behind the IPv6 move was due to a "little bit of everything." He adds, "It's definitely customer-driven. MSOs want it."

With support for both IPv4 and IPv6 for SD-WAN and SD-Security, Versa's customers can design their WAN under IPv4 today and switch over to IPv6 in the future. "Our interfaces are dual stack capable so our customers do not have to go through a forklift upgrade [for IPv6]," he notes.

— Elizabeth Miller Coyne, Managing Editor, Light Reading

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About the Author(s)

Elizabeth Miller Coyne

Managing Editor

Elizabeth Miller Coyne has been a writer and editor for over 20 years with 16 of those years focused on the telecom sector in a variety of capacities, including journalism, corporate communications, public relations, radio show host and more. Formerly editor of Light Reading's The New IP site, she is now leading the content and direction for Light Reading's new online learning community, Upskill U. In January, she was appointed to the NASA JPL Solar System Ambassadors program -- a public outreach program designed to work with volunteers from across the nation to communicate the excitement of JPL's space exploration missions and information about recent discoveries to people in their local communities.

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