I2 Group
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1990 in Cambridge, United Kingdom |
| Founder | Mike Hunter, Dr Tim Spiers |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | i2 Link Notebook, i2 Case Notebook, Analyst's Notebook, Analyst's Workstation, iBase, iBase Intellishare, iXv Visualizer, iBridge, iXa Search Service, TextChart, ChartReader, PatternTracer |
Number of employees | 350 (2011) |
| Parent | Constellation Software |
i2 Group is a software enterprise headquartered in the United Kingdom, specializing in visual link analysis tools designed for military intelligence, law enforcement, and commercial sectors. Since 2022, it has functioned as a fully owned subsidiary of Constellation Software.
History
Established in 1990 in Cambridge, i2 Limited provided services to over 2,000 clients across 149 countries, encompassing the majority of NATO nations. The company was initially owned entirely by its founders, Mike Hunter and Dr Tim Spiers, along with its employees, until its acquisition in 2005.
i2’s software was originally created to visualize and analyze varied data sets to aid criminal investigations. Over time, its applications expanded into government domains including counter-terrorism, military intelligence, defense operations, and the prevention of commercial fraud.
Beginning with desktop solutions for Windows, early products such as i2 Link Notebook and i2 Case Notebook became widely adopted tools within UK police departments and frequently introduced personal computers into investigative environments.
The product lineup grew to support government agencies, military units, public safety organizations, and commercial fraud detection. The company’s US branch, i2 Incorporated, was based in McLean, Virginia. In 2005, ChoicePoint acquired i2.
In June 2008, Silver Lake Partners’ Sumeru fund purchased i2 from ChoicePoint for $185 million.
By July 2009, i2 merged with Knowledge Computing Corporation (KCC), the developer of Coplink software. KCC was founded in 1998 in Tucson, Arizona.
In 2011, i2 resolved a $10 million legal dispute with Palantir Technologies, involving allegations of fraud and copyright infringement concerning Palantir’s algorithm. It was reported that Palantir’s business development director employed a private investigation firm to secretly obtain i2’s proprietary code.
In December 2021, IBM announced the sale of the i2 product line to N. Harris Computer Corporation, a subsidiary of Constellation Software.
Products
The company’s initial products featured the i2 Link Notebook and i2 Case Notebook.
The i2 Link Notebook enabled investigators to construct diagrams depicting relationships between entities by transforming raw intelligence—primarily textual documents such as witness statements—into visualized databases. This facilitated the integration, evaluation, and analysis of data from multiple sources. Capabilities including both automatic and manual layout options, chart sharing, searching functionalities, and printing of extensive diagrams significantly improved investigative management for law enforcement agencies.
The i2 Case Notebook specialized in visualizing chronological data by organizing events around categories such as individuals and locations. It was capable of managing large volumes of information with charts sometimes displayed on entire walls or corridors.
Initially intended for manual data input, these applications later incorporated extensions enabling database connectivity. This allowed mapping database entities (such as person, place, organization, vehicle, asset, event) and their relationships (associate, owns, related) onto visual icons within charts. The first database interface connected with HOLMES 2 (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System), subsequently expanding to support various SQL databases and free-text sources. Users could execute queries directly from charts via context menus; results were visually integrated without disturbing the existing layout. This approach allowed investigators to incrementally explore data and rapidly identify complex links without requiring prior contextual knowledge.
These combined capabilities were marketed under the name i2 Analyst's Notebook. The software was utilized in initiatives like the Human Terrain System, a United States Army program embedding social scientists within combat brigades. Analyst's Notebook reportedly supported a U.S. Army fraud investigation in 2009 and was incorporated into the Army's Distributed Common Ground System through 2011.
Additional products from i2 included Analyst's Workstation, iBase, iBase Intellishare, iXv Visualizer, iBridge, iXa Search Service, TextChart, ChartReader, and PatternTracer. These offerings address challenges associated with handling "big data."
In September 2011, IBM acquired i2 Limited for an estimated $500 million. At that time, the firm employed around 350 staff members. Following the acquisition, the products were sold under the IBM i2 brand as part of IBM’s "Smarter Cities" program.