Nokia sells non-mobile Qt licensing ops to Digia

HELSINKI, FINLAND: Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia will sell the commercial non-mobile licensing operations of its Qt technology to smaller Finnish software house Digia.

Qt technology -- central to Nokia's strategy before it decided to focus on Microsoft's Windows platform -- enables software development for different platforms with one set of tools.

Such technologies are increasingly important for software developers who otherwise would have to create different programmes for each platform in a fragmented mobile industry.

Nokia bought the technology through its acquisition of Norway's Trolltech in 2008 and uses it in smartphones running its Symbian platform and in its upcoming MeeGo device.

"We continue to develop it. Qt has an important role to play in Symbian and MeeGo," said Nokia's spokesman.

Nokia plans to sell a further 150 million Symbian phones before it focuses on Microsoft, and will unveil its MeeGo device later this year.

While Nokia will develop the software, Digia will be responsible for its licensing to the 3,500 existing clients and for seeking growth.

"Qt technology is growing, and it has strong, wide developer support," said Jari-Pekka Heikkila, vice president at Digia.

Digia said the deal, to be finalised this month, will be neutral to its 2011 earnings, but sees profitable growth from 2012.

The value of the deal was not disclosed.