Companies seeking IPv6 Ready certification for their products will now have to pass the stringent requirements of the Gold Logo program, this after the IPv6 Ready Logo Committee decided to consolidate and create one common certification platform.

The move means there is no more Phase 1 Silver Logo program, which previously tested for about 170 IPv6 core protocols. Some of these tests are now included in the Gold Logo program, which the Committee believes should be the single standard to ensure optimum compliance and interoperability of IPv6 products.

"After careful analysis and because of the imminent IPv4 address space depletion, it is now time for the IPv6 Forum Ready Silver (Phase 1) Logo to be retired," Yanick Pouffary, IPv6 Forum (Ready & Enabled) Logo programs chairperson said in a press statement. He added, "Since its creation in 2003, this Logo has been widely successful and the retirement of the Silver Logo simply recognizes that it is time for vendors to acquire the Gold (Phase 2) Logo. The acquisition of the IPv6 Forum Ready Gold (Phase 2) Logo is (and continues to be) the benchmark of IPv6 readiness for products worldwide."

Since its launch, almost 450 products have been awarded the IPv6-Ready Silver Logo. All new and pending Silver Logo applications will be honored until September 2011.

Companies seeking to pass the Gold Logo testing may avail of the IPv6 Testing Services of InfoWeapons, which employs certified testing engineers with actual experience guiding products through the rigorous requirements of the logo testing program. InfoWeapons also owns one of only six laboratories in the world officially accredited to test products for IPv6 interoperability and compliance. To know more about InfoWeapons' IPv6 testing services, click here.

You can read the full text of the IPv6 Logo Committee press statement here.