FCC: Agencies need common cloud computing vision

Cloud computing can improve government efficiency, but federal agencies need coordinated guidance to address potential security pitfalls, according to the National Broadband Plan.

The Federal Communications Commission recommends the Office of Management and Budget supplement existing cloud-based projects -- in which shared software, applications and information are accessed through the Internet -- with a government-wide strategy that takes into account security and privacy concerns. "The federal government has pretty significant efforts going on, but one of the things we realized is that there were multiple flowers blooming and not a lot of guidance," said Eugene Huang, government operations director for the National Broadband Task Force, a panel of FCC officials, consultants and technology experts. "We're not interested in shutting down innovative programs, but instead in saying, 'Look, these things represent some of the cutting edge of what is possible in terms of computing and data centers,' " he said. "At a minimum, OMB and [the General Services Administration] should continue accelerating efforts."