The first "real" Navigator was released in 1987. This first version basically looked like an upgrade of PC-Plus. The biggest change was that it was a able to run as a client/server application over a LAN. It was one of the first multi-user accounting systems to use the new PC networking ca. PC-Plus was a single-user system.
(1987 - Navigator 1)
When the first IBM PC came on the market with PC-DOS in 1981 it was like having a smartphone, but no apps. There were not many multi-user business applications available. Besides word processors and Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets, then there were not many reasons why Denmark's many smaller companies would ever buy an IBM PC. Their own multi-user accounting package would change that. And their were right.
The partnership between PC&C and IBM Denmark meant that IBM took care of sales, marketing and support. PC&C was all about product development.
The previous distributor had been a general software distributor. Basically everyone could be come a PC-Plus reseller. There were no requirements toward sales or training.
Like the IBM PC's, then Navigator was only sold by IBM-ErhvervsCenters (business centers). Anyone who wanted to sell the real IBM PC's, also needed to establish a Navigator department, with certified specialists capable of implementing the system. IBM took care of training and certifications.
The practice where Navision was only sold via IBM continued in Denmark until 1994, where IBM soon after announced a partnership with Damgaard Data (the company behind Navigator competitor XAL - the later Axapta).
From left the founders Jesper Balser and Peter Bang. The right is the third found Torben Wind. In the middle IBM Denmark's CEO Hans Christian Ægidius and Ole Anker Larsen.
The former distributor of PC-Plus Berendsen Data was not happy to see the distribution of Navision being changed to IBM. Especially not when they saw how quickly IBM-Navigator became among the top accounting systems for small-midsize companies. They made a legal claim to the distribution. Navision was according to their claim, just a multi-user version of PC-Plus. The court did not agree, their could also see that, despite much of the look and feel was the same, then Navision was much more.