Nokia today announced a “broad strategic partnership” with Microsoft that will see it adopt Windows Phone as its principal smartphone operating system platform.
“Today, developers, operators and consumers want compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great experience,” Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO, said at a joint news conference in London. “Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivalled global reach and scale. It’s now a three-horse race.”
Microsoft will also bring its Bing search engine and its adCenter to Nokia devices and services. Developers will also have access to Microsoft’s development tools for future application development.
On its side, Nokia will contribute hardware design expertise to help Windows Phone expand to new price points, market segments and geographies. Its Nokia Maps will also become part of Microsoft’s mapping services and its content and application store will be integrated into Microsoft Marketplace.
Nokia has struggled recently against new competitors such as Apple and Google. Its once dominant market share has been steadily eroding. Whether this announcement will be enough to reverse its fortunes remains to be seen.
There is no word yet on when we will see the first Nokia Windows Phone 7 devices.