Orange And Nokia Forge International Partnership On Content

Orange and Nokia have announced that they are going to work closer on music, mobile gaming, maps, advertising and location based services, building on an agreement struck earlier this year.

The two companies have extended it for a further three years and will see Nokia adding 10 new handsets to Orange's Signature range as well as offering a number of mobile services exclusively for the France-based mobile service provider.

Georges Penalver, EVP of Orange's Group Strategic Marketing, said "Combined with our leadership in mobile multimedia innovation and relationships with leading content providers, Orange believes that Nokia's devices and Ovi platform will make a powerful environment for the provision of a joint range of services".

The large number of new handsets which will be launched in the second half of 2008 will target nine major markets worldwide and will almost certainly include one or more iPhone rivals.

Orange is the third global Mobile Phone provider to have signed an agreement with Nokia to distribute their content, after T-mobile and Vodafone.

Nokia has also hinted that the collaboration could probably extend beyond their initial focus on music, games, maps and advertising to include other aspects in the future.