14 DAY TRIAL // After the Finnish handset maker handed over the Symbian platform to Accenture, in an attempt to limit the damage caused by the low sales of its mobile phones, Synchronica, a UK-based company announced that it has acquired Nokia's Messaging service.
As time goes by, Nokia is shrinking trying desperately to maximize the company's efficiency by selling the unprofitable businesses that it owns.
Nokia Messaging provides email, IM and social networking services to various carriers in North America, including T-Mobile USA, Verizon and AT&T.
Those using the service can easily access their MSN Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, AOL, Gmail and multiple other portal/ISP email services, along with Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger and AOL IM accounts.
According to the agreement, Nokia is also trading to Synchronica several contracts that the company has signed with multiple carriers.
The North American carrier contracts planned to be transferred to Synchronica include important carriers, such as AT&T, Bell Canada, Rogers Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless.
As part of the deal, Synchronica and Nokia will enter into a long-term relationship in which Synchronica will provide the messaging software which Nokia will continue to pre-load on Nokia Series 40 phones.
In addition, approximately 250 employees are planned to transfer from Nokia to Synchronica, as the latter will assume responsibility for development, maintenance, and support of the Nokia messaging software.
“This acquisition marks a key milestone for Synchronica as we move closer to our goal of becoming the leading global player for next-generation mobile messaging. Nokia's successful and highly complementary operator-branded messaging business will at a stroke transform Synchronica's scale, profitability, and geographic scope,” said Synchronica's CEO Carsten Brinkschulte.
Currently, Synchronica has more than 80 existing carrier contracts in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Russia, and Asia.
By adding Nokia's Messaging service in its portfolio, the company aims to establish a strong foothold on the North American operator market.
According to both parties, the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter 2011.