Nokia extends mobile deal with Microsoft

Nokia is extending its relationship with software giant Microsoft, giving more mobile phone users access to their office email, a Dow Jones report said.

Nokia will now offer Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync email service to all 80 million of its S60 third-edition handsets in the market as a free download, and will also make the service standard on upcoming models of its business Eseries and high-end Nseries phones, the Dow Jones report said.

Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's executive vice-president of markets, told Dow Jones Newswires that those accessing their email from a mobile device are still a small proportion of the overall email market.

He said that while Canada's Research In Motion helped make wireless email popular, the additional investment a company typically makes to offer BlackBerry service is preventing mobile email from fulfilling its potential.

He said even small companies with tighter budgets will now be able to offer their staff mobile email, as no new equipment or investment is needed.

Referring to RIM, Vanjoki said:'They have a reason to be worried.(Nokia's offering) is simple and supports a huge population with no extra fees for mobility, no extra investment, and is available on a huge set of different models.'

He said Nokia has offered this service on a few of its business handsets in selected regions but has a 'fairly small' market share in terms of mobile email, adding it is now time to make the service standard, the Dow Jones report further said.