The US Internal Revenue Service has delayed a project to
modernise its taxpayer database, citing problems with the
transition from the old system to the new system.
The agency has launched an independent review of the project
through the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh. The review will look at the performance
of a team of contractors led by Computer Sciences (CSC), and the
agency's management of the contract since it was signed more than
four years ago.
The IRS has asked the institute to recommend changes to the
project in 60 to 90 days.
The contractors being led by CSC include IBM, BearingPoint,
Northrop Grumman Information Technology, Unisys and Science
Applications International.
The IRS said the taxpayer database in question is based on DB2
technology from IBM. IBM declined to comment.
The new system, called the Customer Account Data Engine (CADE)
is, eventually, intended to house tax information from more than
200 million US taxpayers. It will replace Master File, a magnetic
tape-based system that the IRS began using about 40 years ago.
Master File, takes a week for records updates, causing delays in
providing accurate account data on taxpayers.
After the first delay, the IRS renegotiated the terms with the
contractors working on the CADE project. The IRS spokesman said
he was unaware of any efforts to further renegotiate the
contract.
Grant Gross writes for IDG News Service