Synchronica purchase of Nokia assets includes deals with Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile

Nokia's latest streamlining efforts include the sale of its operator-branded messaging (OBM) business to Synchronica — a deal that will add $25 million to the Nokia coffers and give the England-based Synchronica a foothold in the North America market.

The OBM business will enable Synchronica to offer white-label mobile email and instant messaging services to a number of devices offered by North American operators, and the deal includes Nokia contracts with 10 operators — including the U.S. top four--Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, and leading Canadian carriers Bell Canada and Rogers Wireless. Nokia is also throwing in source code for the related Nokia Messaging client and server software, and approximately 250 "employees, externals and contractors," according to a Synchronica press announcement. Synchronica will become responsible for developing, maintaining and supporting the Nokia messaging software and the gateway functionality for Series 40 and Symbian devices. Additionally, over the long term, it'll provide Nokia with the messaging software that will come pre-loaded on all of its Nokia Series 40 phones.