"The availability of Windows Live services for Nokia's devices demonstrates our commitment to delivering great mobile experiences and extending people's online lives - taking it from the PC to the device," said Steve Berkowitz, SVP of the Online Services Business from Microsoft, as Nokia and Microsoft this morning announced that they have joined together "to provide customers with a new suite of Windows Live services specifically designed for Nokia devices."

"The alliance will enable a much broader group of consumers to experience the benefits Windows Live has to offer," Berkowitz added, "easily connecting them to the information and people that matter most from virtually anywhere."

Under the agreement, starting today Nokia customers in eleven countries with compatible S60 devices can download the new suite enabling access to Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Contacts and Windows Live Spaces. Starting next year, customers who purchase compatible Nokia Series 40 handsets will also have access to these popular Windows Live services.

Nokia customers who own the Nokia N73, N76, N80 Internet Edition, N93i, and the N95 multimedia computers can get the Windows Live services via the Download! application in the following countries; Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, UK, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

"By taking advantage of the extensive and agile distribution network that Nokia has, we have the opportunity to bring the power of Windows Live services to Nokia devices, thus ensuring our customers can take their most important online information with them on the go," said Jari Pasanen, vice-president, Strategy and Technology, Nokia Multimedia.

Customers can visit http://www.nokia.com/windowslive to learn more, Pasanen said, and check if their country is on the availability list. "Initially the service will be available as a free trial and then customers in select markets wishing to continue using the service may be asked to pay a monthly fee," he added.

Today's announcement builds on the existing co-operation between Nokia and Microsoft, which integrated Microsoft's Live Search for Mobile into the Nokia Mobile Search application. Nokia also plans to extend this service onto the Series 40 platform to enhance the search experience across a greater range of devices.