Photo of Bruce McConnell Bruce McConnell President Government Futures, LLC In the 04/05/2007 edition of ExecutiveBiz we had a chance to catch up with Bruce McConnell, President of Government Futures, LLC. Bruce McConnell is President of Government Futures, LLC, a Washington-based consultancy. Since 2000, McConnell has been the President of McConnell International, which provides advice to corporate senior management responsible for developing and executing market and sector strategy, when government is a factor. We catch up with Bruce on IPv6, the coolest thing that will be accomplished with IPv6 and what most people don’t know about IPv6.

ExecutiveBiz: How long have you been tracking/working on IPv6? Bruce McConnell: Since the early 90’s. I was at OMB, supporting the work of the Internet planners at the National Science Foundation to provide for more IP addresses and enable priority routing. Those were the beginnings of IPv6. ExecutiveBiz: What's the coolest thing that will be accomplished with IPv6? Bruce McConnell: It will be like Napster, not just for music, but for all things virtual and real. Napster’s peer-to-peer music sharing was the beginning of a major transformation in the music industry’s business model. Similarly, when remote sensors, intelligence machines, and humans are connecting on a peer-to-peer level, many existing models will become unsustainable. Collaboration will rule. ExecutiveBiz: What are the IPv6 challenges? Bruce McConnell: It is expensive and most people don’t see the payoff. This is typical in the early stages of innovations. The technology advocates need to do a better job of explaining the business case. Once that happens, the challenge will turn to sustaining progress as people begin to realize the impact on physical, corporate, and national boundaries. ExecutiveBiz: What do you see is the biggest cost implementing IPv6 – training, inventory, or hardware? Bruce McConnell: I’d have to say “none of the above.” The biggest cost will be to restructure business processes to take advantage of the new capabilities. ExecutiveBiz: How important is the recent award of the Networx contract to the government’s IPv6 transition plans? Bruce McConnell: Networx will make it easier for the agencies to meet the mandate. ExecutiveBiz: What is something most people don't know about IPv6? Bruce McConnell: Everyone’s focused on the physical side – smart vehicles, refrigerators, and weapons platforms. But the real transformation will come when data elements have their own IP addresses and can talk to each other. ExecutiveBiz: Any additional thoughts on IPv6? Bruce McConnell: Most of the conversation seems to be about the US. In fact, the Asians, and to some extent the Europeans, are ahead of the US. IPv6 compliance will become a requirement to participate in world trade flows. Firms that get there first will have a crucial leg up. For more information about Government Futures, LLC, visit www.governmentfutures.com. To read a detailed biography, please click here. Interview with Bruce McConnell conducted by JD Kathuria. Enjoy this interview? Digg It! Check out more Executive Spotlights ...