I completely disagree with the statement that IPv6 is a quagmire.
And I completely disagree with the concept that WSUS is diffcult... but, right-or-wrong. empirical evidence proves me wrong.
Likewise, as difficult as it is to learn the concepts of IPv4, the fact is that IPv6 is even more complex to learn.
I'm not a sysadmin and I have not used a windows box for more than RDP for VMWare or DWDM management software for almost 13 years, but I believe even XP is out of support.
Actually, XP is not out of support until April, 2014, but the point is that whether it is, or is not, "out of support", organizations that are committed to using it won't care about what the vendor wants, or what trends might or might not exist in the industry. Windows 2000 has been "out of support" since July, 2010, and yet there are thousands of Windows 2000 systems, Server and Desktop (Professional), that are still in use today.
The bottom line is this: Organizations will NOT change what exists until something more compelling than maintaining the status quo FORCES them to change!
- When the cost of running a Windows 2000 system is more expensive than upgrading to Windows 7...
- When the cost of running a Windows XP system (after April 2014) is more expensive than upgrading to Windows 7...
- When the cost of using IPv4 is more expensive than converting to IPv6....
THAT is when enterprises will adopt the new technology, and not a microsecond before.
For you, and those who evangelize the movement to IPv6 -- and I applaud your commitment to forward-thinking technologies, the objective should not be preaching the "benefits of IPv6", but rather convincing enterprises why IPv4 is no longer good for them.
And that, I believe, is the losing proposition, because there are no disadvantages to using IPv4 in the enterprise.
There are only advantages to using IPv6, and until an organization NEEDS those advantages ... selling IPv6 to an organization is like selling a Ferrari to a guy who just needs a ride to work.
Just keep in mind... if sysadmins cannot convince executives that Windows 2000 (or Windows XP come next year) is a Bad Thing to have connected to the Internet...
Trying to convince them that IPv4 is a Bad Thing is likely to be exponentialy more challenging -- especially if it's not actually true.
The difference is this:
- Sysadmins are already on board that the Windows 2000 (and Windows XP) systems needs to be retired.
- Netadmins are NOT on board that they need to convert internal networks from IPv4 to IPv6.