Microsoft Tosses IPv4 a Lifeline
For years the Internet intelligentsia has warned that the Internet sky is falling -- as we run out of IPv4 addresses, we'll lose the ability to expand. IPv6 was the answer, but after a decade of promoting the address scheme, IPv6 is still barely out of the gate. Â During this time various kludges have squeaked more life out of IPv4.
Microsoft, hoping to help, just cooked up a deal with Nortel to take seven million old or unused IPv4 addresses that can now be put back into circulation.
More of this type of thing may be coming. That's because the American Registry for Internet Numbers is acting a little more liberal about allowing these transfers.
Microsoft ponied up $7.5 million for the set of numbers and got what is likely a bargain due to the fact that Nortel was forced to file for bankruptcy.
Posted by Doug Barney on 05/04/2011 at 1:18 PM