Thursday, April 21, 2011

Microsoft, Nokia Claim Progress On Partnership

Redmond-based Microsoft and cell phone maker Nokia said today that the two have signed a definitive agreement on a partnership, which will result in Nokia using Microsoft's Windows Phone technology on Nokia products. The two companies, who announced they were working together on February 11th, said the partnership was completed ahead of schedule. The two also detailed some other terms of the deal, saying that Nokia will provide mapping, navigation, and certain location-based services to Windows Phone, and Microsoft will deliver Bing search services to Nokia devices. The two will also jointly reach out to developers to create third party applications for Windows Phone, create a Nokia-branded application store using Windows Marketplace; and tie Windows Phone into Nokia's operator billing agreements. The two companies said that Microsoft will receive royalties from Nokia, and that Microsoft will pay "billions of dollars" in payments to Nokia as part of the effort.