IPv6 lags with GSA Networx deployment

“VoIP is relatively new on the government side,” Morche said. “Some agencies are starting to look at alternatives. Many of them are starting to replace some of their legacy technologies, and convert to newer services over time.”

Government agencies did move to IP for data at “a very rapid rate,” said Zeleniak, but they have moved more slowly for voice.

“A lot of these agencies are very localized, which is why we have a group that handles small agency needs and understands their unique requirements,” Zeleniak said. “Many times, their requirements are just not broad enough to force them into a new technology just because it exists. If we can sell them something new that can help, we will.”

Because Networx is set up as a services contract, with low capital expense requirements, it is possible for agencies to try new technology in one part of their operation, gain experience with it and then adopt it more broadly, Zeleniak said.

Verizon Business is seeing broader adoption of managed services, which were a big part of Verizon’s message in its booth at the GSA conference exhibit floor. In addition, she said, “everyone is talking a lot about cloud computing, although we haven’t seen agencies putting it into their procurement plans yet.”

Level 3 is seeing interest in its content delivery networks for much the same reason, Morche said. “A CDN is essentially cloud computing – it is the most efficient means of distributing high-bandwidth content,” he said.

There is growing concern about the pace of the transition to Networx, since delays in the transition will cost the federal government additional money in bridge contracts to the former FTS 2001 service and delay savings that could accrue through use of newer and more efficient services. The GSA used the Chicago conference to promote faster movement by the roughly three-fourths of federal agencies that have not yet moved to the new Networx services.