FC: In-Q-Tel looks promising, but CIA overseers don't pay attention

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Background on In-Q-Tel:
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,,00.html

Photo of their chief strategist:
http://www.mccullagh.org/image/950-16/christopher-tucker.html

-Declan

*********

SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
August 10, 2001

[...]

IN-Q-TEL LOOKS PROMISING -- BUT CIA NEEDS WORK

In-Q-Tel, the venture capital enterprise established by the CIA in 1999 to
facilitate the introduction of new technologies into the aging intelligence
bureaucracy, is off to a promising start, according to a new assessment by a
group of corporate executives.  But the CIA is ill-equipped to take
advantage of its contributions.

"In-Q-Tel has achieved significant early progress," the report by Business
Executives for National Security (BENS) stated.

"To date, In-Q-Tel has reviewed hundreds of business plans, made more than a
dozen investments, brought five technologies and services to the Agency for
use or demonstration, and has implemented three pilots since its charter was
signed in July 1999.  By private sector standards, this represents a
noteworthy accomplishment and the start of a good track record."

At the same time, however, "the CIA has been unprepared ... to integrate the
solutions In-Q-Tel delivers."  A host of technological, security and other
barriers the authors found at the CIA pose fundamental challenges to the
In-Q-Tel initiative.

"The Report of the Independent Panel on the CIA In-Q-Tel Venture," released
on August 7, may be found on the BENS web site here:

        http://www.bens.org/highlights_InQTel.html




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