Finland-based Nokia remains the world's largest producer of mobile phones, despite recent upsurges by the RIM BlackBerry and the Apple iPhone.
"Today's announcement will enable us to expand Microsoft Office Mobile to Nokia smartphone owners worldwide and allow them to collaborate on Office documents from anywhere, as part of our strategy to provide the best productivity experience across the PC, phone and browser," said Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop at a joint press conference today.
Nokia smartphones with Office Mobile will begin shipping sometime after the new year, though exact dates weren't given.
The companies claim that once the smartphones hit the market, users will be able to view, edit and create documents in Office, Excel and PowerPoint. In addition, the smartphones will provide users mobile access to intranet and extranet portals built on Microsoft SharePoint Server.
"Together with Microsoft, we will develop new and innovative user experiences for employees of small and large businesses alike, ensuring Nokia's smartphones are an integral part of the office and home-office environment, and addressing the significant opportunity in mobile enterprise productivity," said Kai Öistämö, Nokia's executive vice president for devices.
