Despite several years of hype and discourse around cloud-based solutions “…we still have to be talking about the need to move to the cloud” according to a Federal News Radio survey released last week.  Just a little over half of survey respondents said that their agency has moved at least some systems to a cloud-based format.  What’s holding feds up?  In a word, “control”.  Federal IT execs feel safer if they have more direct control over their data and applications if they’re either non-cloud based or hosted in a federal cloud.  No federal IT official wants to answer to the IG or Congress about how their cloud transition ended up creating security and functionality concerns.  Staying with “the devil you know” still wins out over innovation and long-term cost savings.  Cost and a lack of governance were two other factors that are holding up cloud transitions.  While the technology is available, and proven in the private sector, only an attitudinal shift will likely drive more sweeping federal cloud adoption.