The latest attempt at modernization, which the FBI first detailed last spring, is expected to take six years to complete, although the bulk of the work should be done by 2009. Called Sentinel, the new technology takes the place of Virtual Case File, a proposed system that was abandoned a year ago after four years of work and a $170 million investment.

Sentinel is a complete make-over and expansion of its predecessor, said FBI CIO Zalmai Azmi at a press conference here. Gone is the proprietary code on which the Virtual Case File system was based. Instead, Lockheed Martin will turn to commercially available software and build Sentinel on top of a service-oriented architecture, he said.

In addition, Azmi has overhauled the FBI's project management procedures in an attempt to address criticisms -- reiterated in a government report last week -- that the failure of the Virtual Case File system stemmed partly from management shortcomings.

The Sentinel project's primary goal is to provide FBI agents with "one-stop shopping" for data, Azmi said. Currently, he said, agents often file reports on paper and must log into different databases to search for information.

Sentinel also incorporates the FBI's broader goal of seamless information-sharing with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, "our mission has changed," said Azmi, who meets regularly with his IT counterparts at agencies such as the CIA.