FBI IT Infrastructure for 21st Century Crime, Part 1

IT Infrastructure for 21st Century Crime
CIO Zal Azmi Talks About the FBI's Technology Make Over

04/02/04

Chief Information Officer Zal Azmi has been onboard at FBIHQ for four months—time enough, he says, to create and begin implementing a multi-year strategic technology plan for the FBI, much as he did for the Executive Office for United States Attorneys at the Department of Justice.

"Tell us the details," we asked, "give us a report card on where we're going and how far we've come."

Mr. Azmi: It's a pretty good report card, thanks to the outstanding support we've had from Congress. We're on the right path to complete modernization and overhaul of our information technology environment—which, by the way, is a hugely ambitious IT project given where we started in 2001. Have we met every deadline we've set? Unfortunately, no. Lots of uncontrollable internal and external drivers and events have caused delays—including mid course corrections to take advantage of newly developed technologies. But that shouldn't overshadow the incredible progress that's been made.

Director Mueller arrived at Headquarters in September 2001 with a vision to transform the FBI's technology infrastructure—and fast. By December 2002, some 30,000 employees in 622 different locations had had their outdated hardware replaced—and three months after that, the FBI wide area network was replaced. Operating systems and email applications are now in the last stages of being updated. Full-site network capability will be completed late this spring. The last piece of the puzzle is imminent: a relational database with a web interface called Virtual Case File that will collect ALL investigative information relating to criminal cases and national security investigations for FBI employees to search and analyze.

Can you take a minute to describe your immediate goals for the FBI's IT future—where we're going?

Mr. Azmi: Bottom line, we're going to an FBI-wide enterprise architecture. The groundwork is essentially done for that. We've mapped our existing resources and needs; we've anchored our developing FBI-wide information technology strategic plan in the operational strategic plans of the FBI and Department of Justice so it maps directly to Director Mueller's top ten priorities; and we're matching our existing IT capabilities against the current and future needs of our operational divisions, so we can identify any gaps...and fill them with new IT capabilities.

What about right this minute? You've talked about the progress that's been made, but what about that Virtual Case File system, that last-piece-of-the-puzzle application that was delayed by the contractor. What's the schedule for getting the full deliverable...and then deploying it?

Mr. Azmi: It's true about the delay. When we received the first deliverable of the VCF application it lacked some mandatory workflow processes. We had no choice but to send it back for corrections. As Director Mueller stressed in his Senate Appropriations testimony last week, we are currently working closely with CSC contractors to ensure we have a network with full site capability by late spring. Only when we get the new cost and delivery schedule from the SAIC contractors to complete the delivery of VCF can we nail down exactly what we can deploy and when. We need to test it and see hands-on what applications and capabilities can be deployed with the least risk of interrupting the operational work of the FBI. It's a delicate operation, as you can imagine—it is like trying to operate on a runner's legs to improve circulation while she's full tilt running the marathon. Our goal is to deliver the first release of the VCF application later this year—a complete replacement of our current case management system with significant enhancements...then watch its use in the field for at least several months before adding more capabilities. One thing you can count on: VCF must be operational before we add any additional enhancements.

How will technology support FBI investigations 5 years from now...and what else will it support?

Mr. Azmi: I will be able to tell you more when we complete our IT strategic plan because it will highlight the gaps and identify what's missing. However, I can tell you that in five years we will have a very modern information technology infrastructure capable of supporting our users from anywhere at anytime. Our goal is to provide the right information, to the appropriate people, when they need it.

Beyond that, the information management, search and retrieval of information, analysis, and dissemination will be seamless. We will be more aligned with NARA, FISMA and E-Gov requirements. We intend to sustain an agile state-of-the-art IT infrastructure that will close the communication gap with all of our law enforcement partners and the intelligence community and, above all, solve cases and protect the American people.