8-K

                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549


                                      FORM 8-K

                                   CURRENT REPORT

                         PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                        THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 28, 1999


                                    NORSTAN, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


        MINNESOTA                   005-13354                       41-0835746
(State or other  jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
of  incorporation)                                           Identification No.)




     605 NORTH HIGHWAY 169
       TWELFTH FLOOR
     PLYMOUTH, MINNESOTA                                      55441
(Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)

          Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (612) 513-4500


                                    NOT APPLICABLE
            (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

                                     Page 1 of 8
                           Exhibit Index Appears on Page 3



ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

     Effective February 28, 1999, the Company entered into an amendment (the
"Amendment") to the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of April 1,
1998, between the Company and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., as Rights Agent (as
so amended, the "Agreement").  The sole change in the Agreement effected by the
Amendment is a change to the definition of "Acquiring Person," which change
increases, from 15% to 18%, the permitted holdings of any Person who, together
with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, as of February 28, 1999, was
the Beneficial Owner of voting securities of the Company having 10% or more of
the voting power of the Company.

     The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the
Amendment, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 4.1.

     The Registrant's Press Release dated April 20, 1999, which is filed as
Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K, is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENT, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS.

(c)       Exhibits.


4.1       First Amendment to Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of
          February 28, 1999, between Norstan, Inc. and Norwest Bank Minnesota,
          N.A., as Rights Agent.

99.1      Press Release dated April 20, 1999.

                                   SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                      NORSTAN, INC.
                                      (Registrant)



Date: April 21, 1999               By:   /s/ Kenneth S. MacKenzie
                                         -----------------------------------
                                         Kenneth S. MacKenzie
                                         Chief Financial Officer


                                   2


                                   EXHIBIT INDEX


                                                                 Page
Exhibit No.                       Description                    Number
- -----------                      -------------                  --------
4.1       First Amendment to Amended and Restated Rights              4
          Agreement, dated as of February 28, 1999, between
          Norstan, Inc. and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A.,
          as Rights Agent.

99.1      Press Release dated April 20, 1999.                         8


                                         3

EX-4.1

              FIRST AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT


     FIRST AMENDMENT, dated as of February 28, 1999, to the Amended and Restated
Rights Agreement, dated as of April 1, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement"), between
Norstan, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the "Company"), and Norwest Bank
Minnesota, National Association (the "Rights Agent").

     WHEREAS, the Company and the Rights Agent have heretofore executed and
entered into the Rights Agreement;

     WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 27 of the Rights Agreement, the Company may
from time to time supplement or amend the Rights Agreement in accordance with
the provisions of Section 27 thereof;

     WHEREAS, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best
interests of the Company and its shareholders to amend the Rights Agreement to
modify the definition of an "Acquiring Person" by increasing the permitted
holdings of certain Persons.

     NOW, THEREFORE, the Company and the Rights Agent hereby amend the Rights
Agreement as follows:

1.   AMENDMENT TO THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT.

     A.   Section 1(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to read in its
          entirety as follows:

          (a) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person (as such term is
     hereinafter defined) who or which, together with all Affiliates (as such
     term is hereinafter defined) and Associates (as such term is hereinafter
     defined) of such Person, without the prior approval of a majority of the
     Board of Directors shall be the Beneficial Owner (as such term is
     hereinafter defined) of voting securities having 15% or more of the then
     voting power of the Company or who was such a Beneficial Owner at any time
     after the date hereof, whether or not such person continues to be the
     Beneficial Owner of voting securities having 15% or more of the then voting
     power of the Company.  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary
     contained herein, with respect to any Person who or which, together with
     all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, as of February 28, 1999, was
     the Beneficial Owner of voting securities having 10% or more of the voting
     power of the Company, such Person shall not become an Acquiring Person
     unless and until such Person, without the prior approval of a majority of
     the Board of Directors, thereafter becomes the Beneficial Owner of voting



     securities having 18% or more of the then voting power of the Company or
     who was such a Beneficial Owner at any time after the date hereof, whether
     or not such person continues to be the Beneficial Owner of voting
     securities having 18% or more of the then voting power of the Company.
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) the term Acquiring Person shall not
     include (i) the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee
     benefit plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any
     entity organized, appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant
     to the terms of any such plan, or (ii) any Person, who or which together
     with all Affiliates of such Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
     more of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock as a result of the
     acquisition of Common Stock directly from the Company (provided, however,
     that if, after such acquisition, such Person or any Affiliate of such
     Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common
     Stock in an acquisition not made directly from the Company, then such
     Person shall be deemed an Acquiring Person), and (B) no Person shall be
     deemed to be an Acquiring Person either (X) as a result of the acquisition
     of Common Stock by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares of
     Common Stock outstanding, increases the proportionate number of shares
     Beneficially Owned by such Person together with all Affiliates of such
     Person; except that if (i) such Person would become an Acquiring Person
     (but for the operation of this subclause (X)) as a result of the
     acquisition of Common Stock by the Company, and (ii) after such share
     acquisition by the Company, such Person or any Affiliate of such Person
     becomes the Beneficial Owner of any additional shares of Common Stock, then
     such Person shall be deemed an Acquiring Person or (Y) if (i) such Person
     or any Affiliate of such Person inadvertently becomes the Beneficial Owner
     of 15% or more (or 18% or more in the case of any Person who or which,
     together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, as of February
     28, 1999, was the Beneficial Owner of voting securities having 10% or more
     of the voting power of the Company) of the outstanding shares of Common
     Stock, and (ii) within eight (8) calendar days thereafter such Person
     notifies the Board of Directors that such Person did so inadvertently and
     (iii) within two (2) days after such notification, such Person is the
     Beneficial Owner of less than 15% (or less than 18% in the case of any
     Person who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such
     Person, as of February 28, 1999, was the Beneficial Owner of voting
     securities having 10% or more of the voting power of the Company) of the


                                         2


     outstanding shares of Common Stock.  For purposes of this Agreement, any
     calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any
     particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular
     percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which any Person
     is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence
     of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the
     Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as in effect on the date of
     this Agreement (the "Exchange Act").


     B.   Section 3(a) of the Rights Agreement is hereby amended to read in its
entirety as follows:

          (a) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth
     Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date, or (ii) the close of
     business on the tenth Business Day after the date of the commencement of,
     or first public announcement of the intent of any Person (other than the
     Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan of the
     Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company or any entity organized,
     appointed or established by the Company for or pursuant to the terms of any
     such plan), to commence (which intention to commence remains in effect for
     five Business Days after such announcement), a tender or exchange offer
     which would result in such person becoming the Beneficial Owner of 15% or
     more (or 18% or more in the case of any Person who or which, together with
     all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, as of February 28, 1999, was
     the Beneficial Owner of voting securities having 10% or more of the voting
     power of the Company) of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock
     (including any such date which is after the date of this Agreement and
     prior to the issuance of the Rights), (the earlier of such dates being
     herein referred to as the "Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be
     evidenced (subject to the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 3) by
     the certificates for Common Stock registered in the names of the holders of
     the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock shall be deemed also
     to be certificates for Rights) and not by separate certificates, and (y)
     the Rights (and the right to receive certificates therefor) will be
     transferable only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares
     of Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company).  As soon as
     practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will send by
     first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record holder



                                         3


     of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date,
     at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, one or
     more rights certificates, in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto
     (the "Rights Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common
     Stock so held.  As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
     evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.

2.   MISCELLANEOUS.

     (a)  Except as otherwise expressly provided, or unless the context
otherwise requires, all capitalized terms used herein have the meanings ascribed
to them in the Rights Agreement.

     (b)  This Amendment  may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute but one and
the same document.

     (c)  Except as expressly set forth herein, this Amendment shall not by
implication or otherwise alter, modify, amend or in any way affect any of the
terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Rights
Agreement, all of which are ratified and affirmed in all respects and shall
continue in full force and effect.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be
duly executed as of the day and year first written above.
                                             NORSTAN, INC.


                                             By:  /s/ Kenneth S. MacKenzie
                                                  -----------------------------
                                               Its: Chief Financial Officer
                                                  -----------------------------

                                             NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A.


                                             By:  /s/ Nancy Rosengren
                                                  -----------------------------
                                                Its: Vice President
                                                  -----------------------------



                                          4

EX-99.1

TUESDAY APRIL 20, 3:23 PM EASTERN TIME

COMPANY PRESS RELEASE

                       NORSTAN AMENDS SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN
                                          
MINNEAPOLIS-(BUSINESS WIRE)--APRIL 20, 1999--NORSTAN, INC. (NASDAQ: NRRD - NEWS)
- -- a technology services leader providing information technology and
communication solutions to business clients, worldwide - today announced that
its Board of Directors unanimously approved an amendment to its Shareholder
Rights Plan, effective as of February 28, 1999.  The Plan was adopted initially
in May 1988 and was amended previously in April 1998.  As amended, the Plan
increases the ownership threshold for determining "Acquiring Persons" for any
shareholder who held 10% or more of the voting power of the Company as of
February 28, 1999.  

Norstan adopted the amendment in response to a request from Heartland Advisors
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which expressed a desire to increase its stake in
Norstan to a level that otherwise would have triggered the Plan's protections.  
Commenting on the amendment, Norstan Chairman Paul Baszucki stated: "We are very
gratified by Heartland's continued confidence in Norstan.  This amendment allows
our largest shareholder to take advantage of a buying opportunity it sees and
increase its already significant investment in Norstan."

Headquartered in the Twin Cities, Norstan's sales and service offices are
located in more than 65 cities throughout North America and Europe.  Through its
three operating units - Communication Solutions Systems, Global Services and
Financial Services - Norstan offers leading-edge technology products,
world-class technology services and competitive financial offerings as a
single-source solution provider.  For more information, visit the Norstan
website at www.norstan.com .

Norstan and associated product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Norstan, Inc.  in the United States and/or other countries.

CONTACT:
Ken Croken
VP, Corporate Communications
612/352-4460