Nokia buys small social networking site Plazes

HELSINKI, FINLAND: The world's top cell phone maker Nokia said on Monday that it has agreed to buy social networking start up Plazes as part of its major push into offering Internet services.

Plazes provides a location-aware service that people can use to plan, record, and share their social activities.

"This acquisition helps Nokia to accelerate its vision of bringing people and places closer together, in line with our broader services strategy," Niklas Savander, the head of Nokia's Internet services, said in a statement.

Plazes has staff of 13, and its main operations are in Berlin.