3. Business and strategic intelligence

3.1 Elements of history

Historically, commercial intelligence was the basis of what was to become business intelligence. Societies, organized into families or communities, produced what their members needed to live. Craftsmen sold what they made. It was only much later that the Cretans began to trade in fabrics, wood, wine, weapons and so on. Whether exploring new territories or seeking out new commercial or political arenas, the search for information has always been part of our daily lives [AG 1 610]...