FBI Outlines $425M Computer Upgrade (post-9/11 FBI still working on paper)

[DeepModem Mom]

FBI Outlines $425 Million Computer Upgrade
By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 17, 2006; Page A05


The FBI unveiled plans yesterday for a $425 million computerized case-management system, vowing to avoid the oversight and technology problems that doomed a previous $170 million effort and has left agents still working largely on paper.

Lockheed Martin Corp. will get $305 million as the primary contractor on the project, with most of the rest going to program management and other work inside the FBI. The FBI's chief information officer, Zalmai Azmi, said agents would have secure Internet access to many FBI systems within a year and that the entire new system, dubbed Sentinel, would be up and running by late 2009.

The project is the latest effort by the FBI to update its antiquated, mainframe-based computer systems, frequently identified as one of the key obstacles to the bureau's attempt to sharpen its focus on intelligence and terrorism. The bipartisan commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks sharply criticized the FBI's technology flaws, which may have played a role in some of the missteps before the terrorist strikes.

A previous effort, dubbed Trilogy, led to successful hardware upgrades and thousands of new PCs, but the final phase -- a software system called the Virtual Case File -- was abandoned last year amid cost overruns and management problems.

The Justice Department's inspector general, Glenn A. Fine, warned in a report issued Monday that the FBI is at risk of repeating several of the same mistakes with Sentinel. The review raised concerns about management turnover and weak cost controls....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/16/AR2006031601862.html

[napi21]

1. Another bungled mess!

Were the cost over-runs going to cost another $305M? Hmmm...I doubt it.

My next question is, why do ou contract an aircraft mfg. to design a security system?

[Xithras]

2. Lockheed has a huge tech wing that does this sort of thing.

Unfortunately, a very good friend of mine used to be a manager there. He quit out of disgust and over mismanagement. Lockheed is well known for choosing the most expensive solution, even if its well beyond the needs of the project. Their philosophy is to bleed every tax dollar they can get their hands on, with the understanding that a bungled project will simply lead to a new replacement project starting up in another year or two.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. You just know...

That right now, LarrySama Ellison is at Lockheed, passing out oral favors and promises of nice emoluments if he gets the database contract.

[kineneb]

4. and they are supposed to be keeping us "safe"

while they flog evil-doers with great wads of paper...

quick, look this up...the info is in the 4th filing cabinet on the left...be careful when you open it...AAAAggh!

[Maccagirl]

5. These are the wizards who tailed Lennon for years

with the same agent parked outside the Dakota day after day, and John hearing a distinctive click,click,click every time he picked up the phone. At one time I honestly thought I wasn't smart enough to work for the Bureau. Well....