New Standard Proposed for IT Purchases The Federal Acquisition Regulation councils have proposed a rule requiring all IT purchases to be compatible with the next-generation Internet technology to the maximum extent possible. The rule would instruct contracting officers to make their purchases conform to Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6. Any exceptions would require advance written approval from the agency’s chief information officer. The new protocol is designed to increase the number of available Internet addresses and improve flexibility and security on the network. It will be phased in over the next few years. The FAR councils said the government can save money and ease the transition to the new protocol by starting now to integrate it into their systems. Last year the Office of Management and Budget issued a guidance memo directing agencies to upgrade their network infrastructure by June 2008. The rule is FAR case 2005-041. Comments are due by Oct. 23.