DISA awarded North Carolina-based Red Hat's Enterprise Linux 5.2 with an Internet Protocol Version 6 Special Interoperability Certification. Company officials say the certification, which falls under the U.S. Defense Department IPv6 Master Test Plan, verifies the Enterprise Linux 5.2 technology as meeting the next-generation Internet demands of the federal government.

With the mandatory certification completion, Red Hat's Enterprise Linux 5.2 can now be placed on the Defense Department's Unified Capabilities Approved Products List.

"Receiving the Defense Department's IPv6 capable certification serves as strong validation of Red Hat's ability to deliver solutions that meet demanding requirements," Paul Smith, Red Hat vice president of government operations, said in a statement.

"Our continued support of standards and rigorous testing means that our federal government customers can confidently and quickly transition to the next-generation Internet with Red Hat Enterprise Linux."