Westinghouse loses contract

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has selected Florida-based Harris Corp. over a local team that included the Westinghouse Electronic Systems Group for a $46.9 million contract to modernize the law enforcement agency's computerized National Crime Information Center.

Westinghouse officials had expressed hope that winning the so-called NCIC 2000 contract would give a big boost to its entry into the law enforcement market and help lessen its dependence on a shrinking military budget.

Westinghouse spokesman Bryan G. Wiggins said the company "was certainly disappointed" by not winning the contract but stressed that it would not affect its plans to pursue other law enforcement business.

In vying for the contract, Westinghouse teamed with the IBM Corp.'s Federal Systems Division in Gaithersburg.