▁wire - distance , ▁and ▁going ▁faster ▁just ▁required ▁everything ▁to ▁be ▁close . ▁ ▁Nor sk ▁Data ' s ▁sales ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁was ▁originally ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁agent ▁Richard ▁B . ▁N orton . ▁An ▁N D - owned ▁subs idi ary ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁and ▁based ▁at ▁Ben ham ▁Park , ▁which ▁the ▁company ▁bought ▁and ▁renov ated . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁the ▁company ▁had ▁an ▁average ▁annual ▁re venue ▁increase ▁of ▁forty - five ▁percent . ▁It ▁split ▁its ▁prof its ▁sevent y ▁percent ▁to ▁rein vest ▁in ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁thirty ▁percent ▁as ▁bonus . ▁Such ▁bon uses ▁were ▁only ▁paid ▁in ▁good ▁years ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁best ▁years ▁was ▁equal ▁to ▁the ▁sal ary . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁a ▁growth ▁stock ▁and ▁only ▁paid ▁marg inal ▁divid ends . ▁Nor sk ▁Data ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁Norwegian ▁company , ▁after ▁Nor sk ▁H ydro , ▁to ▁be ▁listed ▁on ▁a ▁foreign ▁stock ▁exchange . ▁The ▁company ▁was ▁listed ▁on ▁the ▁London ▁Stock ▁Exchange ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁It ▁carried ▁out ▁a ▁pla cement ▁of ▁shares ▁worth ▁N OK   3 0 ▁million ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁for ▁N OK   1 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁N D ▁received ▁the ▁Company ▁of ▁Year ▁Award ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁The ▁company ' s ▁market ▁capital ization