Long time rivals, Microsoft and Nokia, have announced a new alliance today whereby Microsoft will bring its suite of business software and services to the Nokia platform. The alliance is initially aimed at Research In Motion and its BlackBerry product line but you can be sure that the two companies are also intensely focused on Google and the Android platform.

In addition, Microsoft is breaking away from its typical software strategy where everything revolves around the Windows platform. The Microsoft Office division is now free to step away from Windows and leverage other platforms to grow its business model. This makes a great deal of sense considering the changing software landscape where more and more users are trusting software as a service (SaaS) models in the cloud.

So what are the details of this new relationship between the two companies? According to the Microsoft press release, the two companies “will begin collaborating immediately on the design, development and marketing of productivity solutions for the mobile professional, bringing Microsoft Office Mobile and Microsoft business communications, collaboration and device management software to Nokia’s Symbian devices.”

And when can we expect new software? Starting next year, Nokia will ship Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile on its smartphones followed by other Office applications and services. Software and services expected include:

• Ability to view, edit, create, and share Office documents with mobile-optimized versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote
• Enterprise IM and presence optimized with Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile
• Mobile access to intranet and extranet portals built on Microsoft SharePoint server
• Enterprise device management with Microsoft System Center

The initial focus will be business users with the initial target device being the Nokia E-Series of smartphones.

[Check it out]

[Check out the press release]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Nokia