▁a ▁deleg ation ▁from ▁C ER N ▁visited ▁all ▁the ▁European ▁manufact ur ers , ▁largely ▁out ▁of ▁cour tes y ▁as ▁they ▁had ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁choosing ▁American ▁supp liers . ▁N D ▁chose ▁to ▁only ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁computer ▁from ▁a ▁terminal , ▁rather ▁than ▁display ▁the ▁hardware . ▁ ▁N D ▁bid ▁si xty ▁percent ▁lower ▁than ▁the ▁prototype ▁supply er , ▁Digital ▁Equ ip ment ▁Corporation , ▁and ▁N D ▁was ▁only ▁under bid ▁by ▁three ▁manufact ur ers , ▁all ▁which ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁not ▁meet ▁their ▁technical ▁criteria ▁by ▁C ER N . ▁A ▁decision ▁was ▁taken ▁by ▁C ER N ' s ▁technical ▁committee ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁in ▁which ▁German ▁and ▁French ▁interest ▁failed ▁to ▁get ▁their ▁techn ically ▁dis qual ified ▁and ▁higher ▁pr iced ▁Mit ra ▁and ▁Diet z ▁computers ▁selected . ▁The ▁decision ▁fell ▁on ▁Nor sk ▁Data , ▁with ▁the ▁contract ▁signed ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁The ▁computer ▁was ▁delivered ▁and ▁accepted ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁twelve ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁contract ▁specified . ▁The ▁contract ▁included ▁twenty - four ▁computers ▁and ▁a ▁re venue ▁of ▁N OK   1 2 ▁million . ▁ ▁Nor sk ▁Data ▁took ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁decision ▁to ▁abandon ▁their ▁role ▁as ▁system ▁supp lier ▁for ▁a ▁few , ▁large ▁customers ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁European - wide ▁min ic om put er ▁supp lier ▁which ▁could ▁comp