FBI dumps information-sharing software.A $170 million computer overhaul intended to give Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), division of the U.S. Dept. of Justice charged with investigating all violations of federal laws except those assigned to some other federal agency. (FBI) agents and analysts an instantaneous, paperless way to exchange information about criminal cases and terrorism threats is going back to the drawing board and may cost U.S. taxpayers even more. The FBI said the system, known as Virtual Case File, is seriously deficient and will be largely abandoned before it is launched. The database project was supposed to give the FBI's nearly 12,000 agents around the country instant access to the agency's databases, allowing speedier investigations and better integration of information within the bureau and with other intelligence agencies that must coordinate national security matters. It was meant to provide ways for FBI agents, analysts, and other personnel worldwide to share information about investigations, including terrorism cases, without using paper or resorting to time-consuming document scanning. Under the current system, for example, all FBI terrorism documents are loaded into a central database each night. The project has been riddled with technical and planning problems due largely to the expensive customized software See custom software. it relies on, said FBI officials. The Virtual Case File software was supposed to be custom built to maximize the safety and security of information. But the custom design proved expensive, even as software companies have developed comparable off-the-shelf software for a fraction of the cost. Experts say the collapse of the Virtual Case File project, part of a more than $500-million information technology upgrade effort at the FBI, is a major blow for the agency, which has been struggling to redeem its image since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Virtual Case File was to be the final piece of the overhaul of antiquated FBI computers called the Trilogy Project. The first two phases of the project--deployment of a high-speed, secure FBI computer network and 30,000 new desktop computers--have been completed. The agency also has launched a separate investigative data warehouse The Investigative Data Warehouse, or IDW, is a searchable database operated by the FBI. It was created in 2004. Much of the nature and scope of the database is classified. , which collects and analyzes counter-terrorism data from a variety of sources, including investigative reports An investigative report is a document that is meant to provide information on a certain topic that is not easily obtained. It is meant to present the reader with a wealth of easily understood information and usually contains an interview or two on the subject. from other intelligence and law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). . A top FBI official said the bureau "presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. " would ask Congress for millions of dollars more to seek bids from companies to develop another automated information-sharing system, USA Today USA Today National U.S. daily general-interest newspaper, the first of its kind. Launched in 1982 by Allen Neuharth, head of the Gannett newspaper chain, it reached a circulation of one million within a year and surpassed two million in the 1990s. reported. |
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