GSA ensuring offerings are IPv6-compliant

The General Services Administration is reviewing about 600 vendors on its information technology schedule to ensure they are offering IPv6-compliant products and services. Gene Sokolowski, GSA’s deputy chief technology officer in the Federal Acquisition Service’s Integrated Technology Service, said Jan. 30 that officials are asking vendors to specify how they comply with IPv6 and what test criteria they used. Sokolowski, who spoke at an IPv6 conference sponsored by the Potomac Forum in Washington, said he expects the analysis to be finished by early spring. The information technology schedule analysis is one of a handful of initiatives the agency is undertaking to help departments meet the June 30 mandate to ensure their network backbones are IPv6-compliant and start using the new protocol. “We do want to identify IPv6 products on governmentwide acquisition contracts,” Sokolowski said. “We are just in the initial phases of this analysis.” He added that there are no plans for a new GWAC around IPv6. In addition to looking at existing schedule contracts and GWACs, GSA created three teams to focus on IPv6 issues. Sokolowski said the emerging-technology team will monitor the evolution of technology and identify those that are commercial in nature. The portfolio team will identify IPv6 products and services that need to be on a schedule or in a GWAC. The communications team will work with agencies’ IPv6 points of contact to understand agency transition needs and inform them of existing capabilities. The team is developing a Web site and a brochure, which will be available early next month, and will hold an acquisition event in April in California. “Our message is we are open for business,” Sokolowski said. Finally, GSA is providing information on IPv6 training opportunities for agencies based on responses it received from a December request for information. Richard Shrew, co-chairman of the Federal IPv6 Training Subcommittee, said 13 companies responded to the RFI, and the hope is this information will make it easier for agencies to buy training services in five categories, including executives and leaders, network managers and contracting officers.