The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a new tool called Sentinel, which lets agents share and access information about cases digitally. The system was actually first deployed back on July 1st, according to the FBI, and is a step away from the bureau's traditional paper-based system. Agents can now use what's described as a "modern web-based application" to enter information about cases, research past ones, and even utilize an internal RSS feed to keep track of updates. It's used by between 18,000 and 21,000 agents daily.

However, as the Wall Street Journal notes, the development of Sentinel was a lengthy process. According to the Journal, despite originally being slated for a 2009 launch, the project ultimately took 12 years to complete and cost $600 million — and that includes a scrapped version called Trilogy, which cost $170 million and was in development for three years. Despite its troubled history, the FBI appears pleased with the final product, which it says will receive further development going forward. "The deployment of Sentinel is an important step forward for FBI's information technology," said FBI director Robert S. Mueller, III.