A contact intelligence data mining tool for storing, processing,
displaying, and printing relational patterns between entities (e.g.,
business and other contacts). The tool allows proprietary individual
contact data to be merged with accurate and up-to-date public information
in order to explore the full scope (or sphere) of an individual's or
business concern's scope of influence. It intelligently establishes and
presents personal, direct contacts as well as contacts of contacts, and so
on. The tool further displays, via a graphical user interface, the optimal
relationship path (i.e., contact pathway) to reach desired contacts.