KOSICE, Slovakia - April 20, 2011 - Cisco and the Technical University of Kosice announced the opening of the first laboratory for training and research in Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in Slovakia. Cisco donated the lab's networking and communications equipment.

Located at the Technical University of Kosice, the lab is an integral part of an international network of IPv6 training and research facilities. It is connected to the IPv6 lab operated by RENATER, the French national research network in Paris, as well as 17 similar centers around the globe.

Key Facts / Highlights

• The objective of the lab is to provide an open environment for validating solutions, network setups and applications built on the next-generation Internet Protocol, known as IPv6. Internet experts, including academics, government administrators and telecom specialists, can be trained both on-site and through virtual access in innovative information and communications technology solutions relating to the adoption of IPv6.
• In terms of technology and equipment, the lab is an exact replica of the one in Paris. The labs are interconnected through GEANT, the pan-European data network dedicated to the research and education communities. The resources can be used redundantly: If someone needs to conduct a test and one of the labs is busy at the time, the researcher can be directed to another lab.  
• The laboratory will be managed by the university's Cisco® Networking Academy® team. It will also help the university's participation in the 6DEPLOY project funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Program, which involves 18 institutions from all over the world and whose aim is disseminating knowledge about IPv6 and supporting its deployment.
• As an early pioneer in IPv6 technology, Cisco has been a driving force in developing IPv6 through various standards bodies, including the Internet Engineering Task Force, and has been shipping a wide variety of end-to-end IPv6 product and solutions. In June 2011, Cisco will be participating in World IPv6 Day, a 24-hour global "test drive" of IPv6 that is organized by the Internet Society.

Backgrounder on IPv6

• Due to the spectacular growth in the adoption of the Internet and Internet-based technologies worldwide, public IP address space is becoming increasingly scarce. The convergence of technologies and the increasing number of devices on the Internet also require new address space. In January 2011, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocated the last free IPv4 blocks to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs).  
• As the world prepares for the adoption of the next-generation Internet Protocol, education on IPv6 becomes crucial. The IPv6 lab in Kosice offers the opportunity to develop a solid knowledge base on the new protocol, which will help ensure the continuity of operation of institutions and companies.

Supporting Quotes:

• Anton Cizmar, rector, Technical University of Kosice

"The dynamically developing, competitive, global market economy requires graduates with highly developed technical skills at the moment they enter the job market. The Technical University of Kosice joined the Cisco Networking Academy program more than 11 years ago to fulfill students' dreams for a quality professional career in the field of information and communications technology. Now we are again ready to open up new doors for innovative teaching and learning opportunities in the area of IPv6 and to find new ways of collaboration in education both within Slovakia and internationally."

• Marcel Rebros, general manager, Cisco Slovakia

"As a company that has intensely supported education in Slovakia for over 12 years now, we are very proud to have contributed to the establishment of this unique lab. The new IPv6 centre is creating an innovative environment for the research and academic sectors and is helping to enable knowledge transfer from the academic to the business world."

Tags: Technical University of Kosice, Cisco, Slovakia, IPv6

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Supporting resources:

• Read more about Cisco IPv6 solutions: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6553/products_ios_technology_home.html
• IPv6 Myths: http://blogs.cisco.com/security/ipv6-myths/
• Cisco website