Norsk Data was a (mini-)computer manufacturer located in Oslo, Norway. Existing from 1967 to 1992, it had its most active period in the years from the early 1970s to the late 1980s.

Historical overview

The origins of Norsk Data go back to the development of digital computers at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment at Kjeller, Norway, where several early computers had been designed, such as the SAM and the SAM 2 aka FLINK.

The success of this program resulted in the founding of A/S Nordata - Norsk Data Elektronikk on August 8, 1967 by Lars Monrad Krohn, Per Bjørge and Rolf Skår. The company became a significant supplier of minicomputers to many research projects, in particular to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, where they were chosen to produce the computers for their Nuclear Accelerator Project. The other market segments Norsk Data succeeded in were Norwegian municipal administration data centers, newspapers, as well as parts of the educational and university sector.

After a long period of great success, the Norsk Data "empire" collapsed in the early 1990s, mostly due to not realizing the impact of the PC revolution (as well as the growing competition from UNIX-based workstations). Norsk Data technology was continued by Dolphin.

Hardware

Significant Norsk Data computer models include:

• NORD-1, 16-bit minicomputer launched in 1968, could run TSS (see below) from 1971
• NORD-5, 32-bit supermini launched in 1972
• NORD-9
• NORD-10, 16-bit mini lauched in 1973
• NORD-10/S, version of the Nord-10 with cache, paging, and other improvements
• NORD-50, second generation 32-bit supermini in 1975
• NORD-100, 16-bit, from 1978, later renamed ND-100. First single-board 16-bit minicomputer CPU.
• ND-500, third generation 32-bit supermini in 1981
• ND-505, 28-bit computer allowed through the CoCom embargo of the Eastern bloc
• ND-5000, fourth generation 32-bit supermini in 1987 (5400, 5700, 5800)
• ND-5850, fifth generation 32-bit supermini in 1987
• ND-5902 and ND-5904, dual- and quad-CPU 5000 series machines

Software

In addition to hardware, Norsk Data also produced a wide range of system and application software:

• NORD-TSS – Nord Time Sharing System from 1971
• SINTRAN – Operating system for Nord 10 and later models, version III from 1973, III/VS in 1974
• SIBAS database in 1975
• FORTRAN compiler
• ND-Paint Graphic editing - Windows based
• BASIC compiler
• COBOL compiler
• C compiler
• PLANC compiler - PLANC was the system language of Norsk Data - a language "defined by its implementation"
• Pascal compiler developed in Kiel, Germany
• PED – "Programmer's EDitor" Screen oriented text editor
• ND-NOTIS – Integrated, modular word processing and database application suite
• NORTEXT – typesetting system integrated with ND-NOTIS and SIBAS

Along with the above listed applications two batch languages were included called JEC and XCOM, JEC was used primarily as a simple batch job controller, whereas XCOM was used for much more involved routines such as operating system patches etc.

When ND discontiued NOTIS development in 1989, it was continued by NOTIS AS, which later changed its name to Maxware

A point of note: the World Wide Web originated when Tim Berners-Lee wrote the Enquire program on a SINTRAN III mini at CERN.

External links

• A Norsk Data related home page
• Norsk Data Pakistan Private Limited
• Norsk Data hall
• Computer-Archiv - Norsk Data

Computer hardware companies | Minicomputers | Defunct computer hardware companies | Companies of Norway | Computer companies of Norway

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