Nokia reiterated that it plans to continue to support developers who are building apps for Symbian, since there is a very large base of existing Symbian phones and more to come. It hopes to execute a smooth transition between Symbian and Windows Phone.

Also, it plans to contribute some of its development of the Ovi store as part of the partnership. Nokia has partnerships with over 100 operators so that end users can pay for purchases in the Ovi store on their wireless bill. That capability will put Windows Phone and Nokia ahead of both Apple and Android.

In addition, Elop said that there could be multiple stores, such as the Ovi store and Microsoft’s Marketplace, and that the Ovi store would offer all the apps available in the Windows store.

The IDG News Service