Vivek Kundra steps down as US chief information officer

America's first chief information officer has announced that he will step down in August after two and a half years in the job.

Vivek Kundra was appointed to the role by Barack Obama in March 2009, but was placed on leave almost immediately when the FBI raided his former employer, the District of Columbia. The FBI later cleared Kundra of any wrongdoing.

"When he began at the White House, Vivek Kundra brought the promise of good ideas and a hard-charging style focused on getting things done," said Jacob J. Lew, director of the US Office of Management and Budget.

"These were necessary qualities to tackle the difficult issues facing federal IT: an ageing infrastructure with rising operating costs, too many major projects failing to deliver, and increasing vulnerability to outside threats.

"Two and a half years after joining the administration, Vivek has delivered on that promise. He has cracked down on wasteful IT spending, saved $3bn in taxpayer dollars, moved the government to the cloud, and strengthened the cyber security posture of the nation while making it more open, transparent and participatory."

Kundra will take up a new post at Harvard as a joint fellow at the Kennedy School and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

The White House has not said whether it is looking for a successor.