FBI names new chief of information management project

Agency's CIO disputes reports that new system, designed to replace failed Virtual Case File project, will cost nearly $800 million.

The FBI on Wednesday named CIA program manager Miodrag Lazarevich to head its newest information management system, National Journal's Technology Daily reports.

"I'm confident he is the right person for the job" due to his technical background and attitude, FBI Chief Information Officer Zalmai Azmi said at a briefing.

The announcement of Lazarevich to lead Sentinel, which will replace the embattled and abandoned Virtual Case File (VCF) project, came as Azmi refuted recent news reports about VCF.

Azmi rebutted a story that said FBI officials estimated the cost for a replacement at $792 million, more than seven times the initial $104 million pricetag. He also dismissed a report that said the agency never disclosed to its contractor, Science Applications International Corp., that it had identified 400 problems with VCF software.