Interop Returns Significant Amount of IPv4 Address Block, Drives IPv6 Adoption

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Interop®, produced by UBM TechWeb, today announced that it will release a portion of its Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address block (called a "/8" or "slash-eight") , to the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) in an effort to drive Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) adoption. This significant move demonstrates Interop's commitment to driving the adoption of IPv6 in the critical last days before IPv4 depletion. The event is currently taking place at the Javits Convention Center until October 22.  For more information visit: http://www.interop.com/newyork/.

"IPv4 depletion is one of the most critical issues facing the Internet today," said Lenny Heymann, Interop General Manager. "Interop is pleased to return our /8 IPv4 addresses in an effort to sustain the life of IPv4 and drive in IPv6 adoption. This week we'll be looking at the tremendous changes happening in the business technology landscape, including this new IP standard, and will dive deep into what this means, the challenges it brings and present real-world solutions for the adoption of IPv6."

"ARIN thanks Interop for returning its IPv4 addresses," said John Curran, President and CEO of ARIN. "Interop, an organization with a long-standing presence in the industry, is setting a great example for other organizations with excess IPv4 address space for the betterment of the community and health of the Internet, and to progress the migration to IPv6. Because we are so close to IPv4 depletion, we are especially thrilled with Interop's return."

Industry visionary Dan Lynch, the founder of Interop, acquired the addresses block to allow for unfettered Interoperability Testing between TCP/IP equipment vendors in the formative years of the Internet. Interop will continue to use a small portion of the original grant to continue Interop's 25-year mission to foster industry-wide interoperability, while returning the remainder of the address block to ARIN for the greater good of the Internet community. ARIN will accept Interop's /8 and hold it for a short period, per existing operational procedure. After the hold period, ARIN will follow global policy at that time and return it to the global free pool or distribute the space to those organizations in the ARIN region with documented need, as appropriate.

As the leading global business technology event, Interop New York 2010 offers a multi-track conference, a major expo show floor, workshops like CIO Boot Camp, Enterprise Cloud Summit and Virtualization Days, and many networking opportunities.  More than 150 exhibitors will showcase their IT solutions at the New York event this year, including Amazon Web Services, ARIN, Astaro, AT&T, Avistar, Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, Dell, EMC, Emerson Network Power, Emulex, HP, LifeSize, McAfee, Microsoft, OPNET, Polycom, Quest Software, Rackspace, Riverbed, Tri-Geo Network Security, WatchGuard, and Xirrus. For more information visit: http://www.interop.com/newyork/.

About Interop®

Interop® drives the adoption of technology, providing knowledge and insight to help IT and corporate decision-makers achieve business success. Part of UBM TechWeb's family of global brands, Interop is the leading business technology event series. Through in-depth educational programs, workshops, real-world demonstrations and live technology implementations in its unique InteropNet program, Interop provides the forum for the most powerful innovations and solutions the industry has to offer. For more information about these events visit, www.interop.com.

About The American Registry for Internet Numbers

ARIN is the nonprofit corporation that manages the distribution of Internet number resources – IPv4, IPv6, and Autonomous System numbers – in its service region, which includes Canada, many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands, and the United States. More information on IPv6 adoption is available at http://www.getipv6.info/ and http://www.arin.net.

About United Business Media Ltd.

UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting, and monitoring; and the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities – from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists – with integrated events, online, print, and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and driving their markets to work effectively and efficiently. For more information, go to www.ubm.com.

SOURCE UBM TechWeb