Norsk Data's history

1968
The company sells 9 NORD-1 machines.

1969
The company achieves a revenue of 6.25 millon kroner. Same year the expenses for the staff is 780.000 kroner.
Virtual memory architechture on a 16-bit mini; NORD-1.
Intel releases their 4004 microprocessor and plays with all of 4 bits.

1970
The development of NORD-5 starts, to become NDs first 32-bit computer.

1971
Norsk Data Elektronikk gets the current logo. ND rents 850m² in the Økern building. The first NORD system,(Translator's note: Shouldn't this be NORDIC?) consisting of three NORD-1s and a NORD-5, is delivered to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
NORD TSS, an operating system for 16-bit minicomputers with timesharing for multiple users and multiple programming languages.

1972
A contract with CERN - The European centre for nuclear research - is made.
NORD-5, the world's first 32-bit supermini computer.
The operating system NORD-1 TSS, Multilingual Time Sharing System, is developed and is percieved at that time as the most advanced operating system in the world.
Intel releases their 8-bit 200KHz 8008 microprocessor.

1973
Norsk Data-Elektronikk gets a new logo similar the the current one, with the dots. International breakthrough with an order of 24 computer for CERN.
Introduction of the NORD-10, based on technology many years ahead of ND's competitors.
Introduction of SINTRAN III, a userfriendly operating system for the NORD computers.
The operating system CP/M (Control Program/Monitor) sees the light of day. Shouldn't that be Control Program for Microprocessors?

1974
Large NORD-50 order to Meteoroloigical centre in Algeria. By the end of the year there are 140 employees in the company. Concidering moving the company to Kristiansand and negotiations are started with the county.
SINTRAN III/VS, a general operationg system for both 16-bits and 32-bits computers. It is the first multiple-mode operating system for real time computing, multilingual, timesharing, and both local and remote batched computing.
Intel releases their 8-bit 2MHz 8080 microprocessor and Motorola introduces their 8-bits 6800 microprocessor.
CP/M is released for Intel 8080-based systems.

1975
The first NORD-10 systems, intended for purely administrative uses, is delivered to Jonas Øglænd, Kreditkassen,(A large bank) and Norsk Tipping.(The state lottery)
NORD-50, the second-generation 32-bit supermini computer.
SIBAS, a Codasyl-based multiuser online database system. It is an important tool for administrative purposes and distributed data processing.
Microsoft is started by Bill Gates and Paul Allen as they launch their BASIC interpreter.

1976
The company changes name to NORSK DATA A/S. ND wins contracts with NSB (State railway monopoly) over delivery of equipment and development of users for the control of freight trains (GTL)
Intel comes out with a new 8-bits 5MHz 8085 microprocessor. Zilog releases their 8-bit 2.5MHz Z80 microprocessor.

1977
Great international attention is woken when ND in sharp competition with large American vendors wins the contract to the computer for the F-16 pilot training simulator. This is the largest contract yet in ND's history. The company is awarded the Export award for 1977.

1978
Rolf Skår takes over as CEO. ND sets eye on the graphics industry and establishes its own division for this product area, Nortext. The number of employees has reached 400. The NORD-100 computer series changes name to ND-100. The company moves into new offices at Furuset, the first Norsk Data owns themselves.
Intel introduces the 4.77MHz 8086 microprocessor and has thus advanced to an amazing 16 bits.

1979
Tandberg A/S is bought by ND. The number of employees is rapidly increasing, and they move into new spaces at Skullerud. Breakthrough on the English and Danish markets.
ND-100 arrives on the market, a very fast and compact 16-bits minicomputer, and the development of ND-500 is started, a third-generation 32-bit supermini.
The text editor ND-NOTIS is launched, an integrated system for word processing and data processing, with the same terminal for all functions.
Intel arrives with their quasi-16-bits 4.77MHz 8088 microprocessor. Motorola introduces their first 16-bit 68000 microprocessor.

1980
ND buys COMTEC by Nobø Fabrikker A/S. This signals a very strong investment in integrated computer systems for the graphical business, and especially the news paper section. Mobil Exploration Norway Inc. puts 30 Million kroner to ND's disposition for the development of computing equipment. The number of employees has reached 717, but everyone still knows each other!
Tim Berners-Lee created the program ENQUIRE on a Sintran III minicomputer from Norsk Data. with this program you could link between documents, and we here have the start of the World Wide Web. Here you can find the original ENQUIRE manual. Microsoft releases the OS Xenix.

1981
The 3rd of July ND is made public on the London Stock Exchange. This signifies an international breakthrough on the financial market. Of the companies 1678 stock holders, 255 are now foreigners. The stock rises in the first year from NOK 55 to NOK 400.
ND-500, a third-generation 32-bit supermini computer, with very high performance and security, based on a non-von-Neumann architechture.
ACCESS, direct inquiry system allowing case workers to query a DB.
IBM releases PC with Intel 8086 microprocessor and 64KB RAM.

1982
ND strikes deal with the Dietz family in Germany over the creation of the company Dietz Computer Systeme GmbH inside the CAD/CAM sector. The cooperation is based on making use of the existing sales and service organization of Dietz, while the software, Technovision, is ported to the ND-500 line of computers.
COSMOS, a network system allowing sharing of applications and databases in a computer network.
Intel introduces a 16-bit 6MHz 80286 microprocessor.
Microsoft releases MS-DOS version 1.1 for IBM's PC.

1983
ND's stock is noted on the Stockholm exchange. ND purchases 70% of the stock in Sivildata AB. This Swedish service bureau has a large IBM machine park, which eventually has a direct impact on ND's development of software for communications between these types of machines. ND is given the award Corporation Of The Year 1983 by The corporate review.
ND-570/CX (ND-500/2), is the world's fastest general-purpose 32-bits supermini machine. It performed 7.1 million Whetstone instructions pr. second by using an optimizing FORTRAN-77 compiler.
Microsoft releases MS-DOS version 2.0 and a very pre-version of Windows.

1984
After the French space travel organization CNES has recommended ND's 32-bit supermini computer for their next five year program, ND can in October sign a large contract with MATRA. This French company will start selling ND products under their own name with marketing rights for the south-European countries.
Motorola arrives with a 32-bits 16MHz 68020 microprocessor.
Microsoft releases MS-DOS version 3.0.

1985
In West-Germany the integration of the former Dietz corporation with ND completes and the company name is changed to Norsk Data GmbH. ND initiates a cooperative effort with the Electronic Corporation of India, ECIL. For a fee ND will transfer their ND-500 technology to India with the help of ECIL.
Introduction of a new ND-100 CPU, ND-120 CX (Delilah) with from 2 to 6 megabytes of onboard memory.
Intel finally launch their 32-bits 16MHz 80386DX mikroprocessor.
Microsoft is ready to launch the first version of Windows (1.0).

1986
ND purchases an 18% share and secures through agreements control over the Danish system/software shop Data Inform A/S. Further ND buys all the stock for the Norwegian software house Infologic A/S. This company has developed a fourth-generation development tool for commercial application packages.
Johnny Oddene starts at Norsk Data Tuesday the 13th of May.

1987
In February, ND takes over the company Autocon A/S from Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk A/S. This company specializes in extremely advanced software for surface modelling within CAD/CAM. ND buys the stock majority of Wordplex, one of Englands best known computer companies. In the company there are about 800 employees, and the company has large activities abroad in amongst others Portugal, West-Germany, and Australia. Only home in England is Wordplex making money. The magazine Datamation ranks ND third on a ranking list over results in the computer corporation all over the world, only beaten by Microsoft Corp. and Cray Research. DEC and IBM are way down on the list with points about half of what ND got.
ND-5000 (Samson) is released, a fourth-generation 32-bit superminimachine. A new technological leap over the competitors is thus achieved.
Motorola is ready with their new 32-bit 68030 microprocessor.

1988
The Server 88-project results in two standard configurations; TpServer- and ES-platform.

1989
Rolf Skår quits as CEO of Norsk Data 20th of August 1989.
Intel is ready with their 32-bit 25MHz 486 microprocessor.

1990
ND-5850 (Rallar) is launched, a fifth-generation 32-bit supermini.
Motorola announces their 32-bit 25MHz 68040 microprocessor.
Microsoft is ready with Windows 3.0.

1991
MS-DOS version 5.0 is ready for sale from Microsoft.

1992
Intel introduces their 32-bit 25/50MHz i486DX2 microprocessor.
Microsoft sells Windows versjon 3.1.

1993
Motorola is ready with their 50 and 66MHz PowerPC 601 processors.
Microsoft launches their Nintendo version of Windows (Windows NT).

1994
Intel introduces the i486DX4 processor.
Mosaic Communications launches Netscape Navigator version 1.0.

1995
Intel announces the Pentium Pro mikroprocessor.
Microsoft releases Windows 95.

1996
Intel launches the 200MHz Pentium Pro.
Microsoft announces version 4.0 of Windows Nintendo Technology (NT).

1997

1998
Upgrades and delivery of ND-5850 (Rallar)-machines to Norsk Tipping, NSB, Statkraft, Stavanger Aftenblad.

1999

2000
New ND-5850 (Rallar) satellite delivered to customer in February.
Release of Norsk Data Internet Server (NDIS). So Norsk Data's homepages http://www.sintran.com can be run on a Norsk Data supermini, as it should be.

2001
A brilliant and completely correct quote from professor Jens Glad Balchen at NTNU: In spite of bankruptcy after ca. 25 years, ND was one of the largest industrial computer successes the world has ever seen.
Source: Computer World Norge, 16. februar 2001. The link works if you're lucky, but it's in Norwegian.
New ND-100 Compact model 12 delivered to an extremely happy customer in August.

2002
Release of CLCKSRV, automatic adjustment of time for daylight savings time. Other programs can also do calls to the server to get deviations from GMT, if it's DST, and of course date and time. ( which you can also get with MON CLOCK).

2003
Norsk Data has to move out the last remanders from the old headquarters at Skullerud and thus a long Norwegian computing adventure is over. The former owners were completely uninterested and mistreated about everything having to do with Norsk Data in a series of years, and completely lacked the understanding of how important it is to conserve the world's greatest IT story.

2004
Hipp hurray!. Long live Norsk Data, Sintran Data preserves the ND story so that it may never be forgotten.