Nokia adds MS Live Search to its mobile phones

Adding more to its mobile search services, Nokia on Thursday, said that it has reached an agreement with Microsoft to integrate Live Search capabilities into its Mobile Search platform. The service will now enable consumers to access Microsoft's Live Search directly from N Series multimedia computers and other compatible Nokia S60 devices.

Finland based world's largest manufacturer of mobile telephones, Nokia though has had a mobile search client with Yahoo! support on many of their devices, but this new tie-up will expand that with web search, stock quotes, movie times and Encarta Instant Answers.

Nokia has signed an agreement in early September with Yahoo! Inc. to add Yahoo! Search functions to Nokia's mobile search applications.

After signing the deal with Nokia, John DeVitis, product unit manager of Live Search for mobile at Microsoft Corp, said "We are pleased to provide advanced Live Search services to enhance the search experience on Nokia's S60 handsets."

Microsoft’s search service on Nokia phones will provide advanced web search results in 14 languages to enable consumers get through the information and content they want most while on the move. The service will support rapid and easy access to information such as stock quotes, movie times, and common facts via Encarta Instant Answers.

According to the Finnish handset manufacturer, the service will help the user to find results quicker than the browser, and also help find the Web page of an internet search provider, since in many cases search will be accessible directly from the menu screen.

Emphasizing on the features of the Live Search services, Ralph Eric Kunz, vice president, multimedia experiences, Nokia, said, "Adding the advanced searching capabilities of Microsoft's Live Search to our Mobile Search platform provides our customers with unique and powerful new ways to search the Internet on their multimedia computers, and many other compatible Nokia mobile devices. The Mobile Search platform is dedicated towards creating a user experience that is easy to access, and optimally integrated into other functions of the device."

The Mobile Search application will be included in select models of N series like N80 Internet edition, N70, N93, Nokia 6630 and more device packages and available for select S60 devices as a free download from www.nokia.com/mobilesearch.

Shares in Nokia yesterday were trading up EUR0.24, or 1.6%, at EUR15.26, while shares in Microsoft on the New York Stock Exchange were down 11 cents, or 0.4%, at $27.07