Nokia Signs Mobile Maps Deal with Orange

Nokia and Orange have signed an agreement to do something with Nokia handsets - although the statement issued by the companies is light on detail. It seems that the two companies will integrate some limited mobile services offered by Nokia into Nokia handsets offered by Orange on its mobile networks.

Orange brands its modified smartphones as "Signature Devices", and the new deal will include Nokia Maps and access to Nokia's Ngage mobile games inside the Orange menu options on the handsets. The two companies said that they plan to create 10 million active Mobile Maps users on Nokia devices within the Orange footprint by 2010.

This does not seem to be as substantive a deal as was recently signed by Nokia with T-Mobile and Vodafone to offer Nokia's Ovi mobile content platform to the operators customers.

"We are pleased to create this strategic partnership with Orange and believe that the combination of Signature and Ovi services will extend and enrich consumer choice," said Kai Ãâ€"istämö, EVP, Devices, Nokia. "We also expect our close collaboration to extend beyond the initial focus areas of music, games, maps and advertising to include other services over time."

Posted to the site on 22nd May 2008