The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan published "the guideline to enable IPv6 for e-Government systems". The purpose of this document is to help the central ministries plan for IPv6 adoption and promote IPv6 for the e-Government systems.
In January 2006, the IT Strategy Headquarters announced the New IT Reform Strategy and manifested, in principle, the IPv6 enablement by FY2008 when IT equipments of each Office and Ministry would be disclosed. This guideline by MIC is a summary of current adoption of IPv6-enabled products, procedures to make a concrete plan for IPv6 adoption by each Office and Ministry, as well as the necessity of IPv6.
Based on the guideline, there are 4 flows for IPv6 enablement: "Pre IPv6 Deployment" "IPv6 Deployment" "IPv6/v4 Coexistence" and "IPv6 Enablement Completed". We are at the border between "Pre IPv6 Deployment" and "IPv6 Deployment" today. The guideline describes "precautionary points, requirements and items to investigate, for the e-Government systems to be IPv6 enabled" before going into the "Deployment" stage.
This guideline will be a useful action guide for not just public offices but private companies. For example, there is a detailed cost comparison of various products, including infrastructures, servers as well as client products for general government officers.
The Office and Ministries have already indicated their general policy with "the Operation and System Optimization Plan" published in March 2006, whose objectives were to make the IT infrastructure more efficient with a lower cost. The details and specifics, however, varied among ministries. The newly published guideline is expected to promote further adoption of IPv6 by government offices, and to have a ripple effect on the private sector as well.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
About the guideline to enable IPv6 for e-Government systems
http://www.soumu.go.jp/s-news/2007/070402_5.html
