BlueCat Networks, the IPAM Intelligence™ company, today announced that it has entered into a patent cross-licensing agreement with IBM that will allow the two companies to partner and leverage each other’s inventions in order to foster innovation in IP Address Management (IPAM) and IPv6 transitioning.

IBM and BlueCat Networks’ collaboration is focused on the Virtual Data Center. With the depletion of IPv4 addresses, organizations need to start planning now for the transition to IPv6 to avoid losing connectivity with customers, partners and suppliers in global markets. BlueCat Networks and IBM are working together to help clients prepare for IPv6 by using IP Address Management (IPAM) to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

“Given IBM’s role as a technology leader, a strategic partnership made a lot of sense to us as we have a number of Fortune clients looking into the shift to IPv6” said Michael Hyatt, co-founder and CEO of BlueCat Networks. “This agreement with IBM is a terrific example of how companies can work together in the spirit of cooperation and innovation. We look forward to working with IBM in the future.”

“IBM has been the leading recipient of U.S. patents for 18 consecutive years and is committed to licensing intellectual property to encourage innovation and collaboration,” said Ken King, general manager, Intellectual Property and vice president of Research Business Development, IBM. “This patent cross license with BlueCat Networks will provide a foundation for organizations to prepare for IPv6 with IP Address Management (IPAM).”

BlueCat Networks’ IP Address Management solutions provide an essential technology for helping organizations transition to IPv6, reduce IT management costs, launch new IP-dependent services including virtual data centers and clouds, and manage network growth and change.

For more on this announcement please visit www.bluecatnetworks.com/ibm. For free trial software, please visit http://pages.bluecatnetworks.com/FreeTrial.