Ralph Høibakk
Encyclopedia
Ralph Høibakk is a Norwegian
entrepreneur. He established the Tandberg Data
company in 1978, which produced ergonomically designed laptops and keyboards. Høibakk left the company in 1986, and started Høibakk Invest, which provides management consulting
for new enterprises. He is also a mountaineer, and has climbed the Tirich Mir
, Mount Everest
and Drangnag Ri mountains in Asia with Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss
and Arne Næss, Jr.
and took examen artium
in 1956. After that, he studied at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
until 1962. He then served his conscription
at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
at Kjeller
. During his conscription, he became familiar with the Manchester computer
named FREDERIC, which was imported from the University of Manchester
.
From 1963 to 1965, Høibakk worked at the SINTEF
research centre in Trondheim
. After he left SINTEF, Høibakk was appointed managing director of the computer technology company Nor-Data, which he remained for 13 years. In 1978, he was appointed chairman of Tandberg Radio data division. In the same year the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry
decided to bankrupt Tandberg Radio, which was the first time the Norwegian government had decided to bankrupt a company. Høibakk decided to start a new company, Tandberg Data
. It gained surplus in the first years, and in 1978 it released its first product; a table computer. In the following years, Tandberg Data produced keyboards
and personal computer
s which were ergonomically designed.
In the 1980s, Tandberg Data tried to start business in the United States
, but without success. In 1986, Høibakk resigned from his position in the company, and established Høibakk Invest AS, where he was managing director. In 2000, he was appointed Professor II at the Narvik University College
.
. He also climbed the mountain Tirich Mir
in an expedition led by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss
in 1964. In 1985, Høibakk climbed the Mount Everest
with a group of 25 Norwegians, led by Arne Næss, Jr.. Ten years later, Høibakk climbed the Drangnag Ri mountain in Tibet with Chris Bonington
and Bjørn Myhrer Lund. Høibakk and Bonington were hit by lightning at 6800 metres (22,309.7 ft) above sea level. In 1990, Høibakk skied to the South Pole
with a group of Norwegians who were the first Norwegians to reach the South Pole on ski since Roald Amundsen
. He later recalled that he found the ski trip a "bit boring".
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
entrepreneur. He established the Tandberg Data
Tandberg Data
Tandberg Data GmbH is a company focused on data storage products, especially streamers, headquartered in Dortmund, Germany. They are the only company still selling drives that use the QIC and VXA formats, but also produce LTO along with autoloaders, tape libraries, NAS devices, RDX Removable Disk...
company in 1978, which produced ergonomically designed laptops and keyboards. Høibakk left the company in 1986, and started Høibakk Invest, which provides management consulting
Management consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
for new enterprises. He is also a mountaineer, and has climbed the Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian expedition consisting of Arne Næss, P. Kvernberg, H...
, Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
and Drangnag Ri mountains in Asia with Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss
Arne Næss
Arne Dekke Eide Næss was a Norwegian philosopher, the founder of deep ecology. He was the youngest person to be appointed full professor at the University of Oslo....
and Arne Næss, Jr.
Early and personal life
Høibakk was born to the engineer Rolf Høibakk (1908–2002) and his wife Mary Wilthil. In 1965, Høibakk married Inger Holm, but divorced her in 1998.Career
Høibakk grew up at RjukanRjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
and took examen artium
Examen artium
Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...
in 1956. After that, he studied at the Norwegian Institute of Technology
Norwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
until 1962. He then served his conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
Norwegian Defence Research Establishment
The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment is a research institute that conducts research and development on behalf of the Norwegian Armed Forces and provides expert advice to political and military defence leaders...
at Kjeller
Kjeller
Kjeller is located near Lillestrøm in the municipality of Skedsmo, Norway. It is located 25 kilometers north of Oslo.-The name:The Norse form of the name was probably Tjaldir. This is then the plural of tjald n 'tent'...
. During his conscription, he became familiar with the Manchester computer
Manchester computers
The Manchester computers were an innovative series of stored-program electronic computers developed during the 30-year period between 1947 and 1977 by a small team at the University of Manchester, under the leadership of Tom Kilburn...
named FREDERIC, which was imported from the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
.
From 1963 to 1965, Høibakk worked at the SINTEF
SINTEF
SINTEF , headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, is the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia. Every year, SINTEF supports research and development at 2,000 or so Norwegian and overseas companies via its research and development activity....
research centre in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. After he left SINTEF, Høibakk was appointed managing director of the computer technology company Nor-Data, which he remained for 13 years. In 1978, he was appointed chairman of Tandberg Radio data division. In the same year the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry
Ministry of Trade and Industry (Norway)
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry is a Norwegian ministry responsible for business, trade and industry. It is led by Trond Giske . The department must report to the legislature, Storting.-History:The Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Shipping, Industry, Craft and Fisheries was created...
decided to bankrupt Tandberg Radio, which was the first time the Norwegian government had decided to bankrupt a company. Høibakk decided to start a new company, Tandberg Data
Tandberg Data
Tandberg Data GmbH is a company focused on data storage products, especially streamers, headquartered in Dortmund, Germany. They are the only company still selling drives that use the QIC and VXA formats, but also produce LTO along with autoloaders, tape libraries, NAS devices, RDX Removable Disk...
. It gained surplus in the first years, and in 1978 it released its first product; a table computer. In the following years, Tandberg Data produced keyboards
Keyboard (computing)
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
and personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s which were ergonomically designed.
In the 1980s, Tandberg Data tried to start business in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but without success. In 1986, Høibakk resigned from his position in the company, and established Høibakk Invest AS, where he was managing director. In 2000, he was appointed Professor II at the Narvik University College
Narvik University College
Narvik University College is a state owned University College in the town of Narvik, Norway. It was established August 1 1994, and has approximately 1300 students and 170 employees....
.
Mountaineering
Høibakk is a noted mountaineer. In 1958, he was part of the first climbing of TrollryggenTrollryggen
Trollryggen is a peak along the Trolltindene ridge along the Romsdalen valley. It is located in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Rauma River and the highway lie just to the east of the ridge.....
. He also climbed the mountain Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir
Tirich Mir is the highest mountain in the Hindu Kush region and the highest mountain outside of the Himalaya-Karakoram range, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The mountain was first climbed in 1950 by a Norwegian expedition consisting of Arne Næss, P. Kvernberg, H...
in an expedition led by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Næss
Arne Næss
Arne Dekke Eide Næss was a Norwegian philosopher, the founder of deep ecology. He was the youngest person to be appointed full professor at the University of Oslo....
in 1964. In 1985, Høibakk climbed the Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
with a group of 25 Norwegians, led by Arne Næss, Jr.. Ten years later, Høibakk climbed the Drangnag Ri mountain in Tibet with Chris Bonington
Chris Bonington
Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL is a British mountaineer.His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest and the first ascent of the south face of Annapurna.-Early life and expeditions:Educated at University College School in...
and Bjørn Myhrer Lund. Høibakk and Bonington were hit by lightning at 6800 metres (22,309.7 ft) above sea level. In 1990, Høibakk skied to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
with a group of Norwegians who were the first Norwegians to reach the South Pole on ski since Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
. He later recalled that he found the ski trip a "bit boring".