As the world slowly moves to IPv6, essentially the next version of IPv4, which mobile platforms are embracing the future? Latest data, published by content delivery network (CDN) Akamai shows that Microsoft is in front with Windows Phone. This could well be down to the increased enterprise usage we're reporting on. So why are we upgrading to version 6 of the protocol? Simply put: the world has ran out of IP addresses.
"What? I'm so confused!" Fear not. An IP address is an ID for a device, which can be used to connect to it - much like our website. You type in "wpcentral.com," but a domain name is just a user-friendly mask of our server's IP address. You'll have an IP for any device connected to the Internet, including smartphones. Example: if you play multiplayer video games and use a string of numbers to connect to a friend's lobby, that's his (or her) computer's IP.
IPv6 is an upgrade to version 4 of the protocol with a larger pool of addresses available for the continued growth of technology. Here are some more advantages over IPv4:
- No more NAT (Network Address Translation)
- Auto-configuration
- No more private address collisions
- Better multicast routing
- Simpler header format
- Simplified, more efficient routing
- True quality of service (QoS), also called "flow labeling"
- Built-in authentication and privacy support
- Flexible options and extensions
- Easier administration
Why is it important to note how well Windows Phone is doing? IPv6 is the future and since the platform is embracing change better than the competition, it's interesting to note just how Windows Phones are connecting through the Internet. Here's a chart showing the percentage breakdown between platforms:
There's not a massive lead and Android (latest version) isn't far behind in second position with 10.8 percent, but considering how small the Windows Phone share of the market is, it's quite the achievement should the data be accurate. We're not talking about a massive achievement and this report does not make Windows Phone any better than the rest, but it's an intriguing statistic.
