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Nokia To Use Microsoft Digital Music Software

Posted by timothy on from the battle-lines dept.

BCMM writes "From an article on Reuters: 'The world's largest mobile phone maker, Nokia, and software giant Microsoft struck a deal on Monday to make it easier for consumers to buy digital music on-line and play it back on their handsets ... Nokia agreed to put Microsoft's music player software into its handsets.'" (The BBC covers the deal as well.) "The articles don't mention what sort of DRM or licensing will be involved." jfanning writes "Two new Series 60 phones were also announced that ship soon and support WMA, the 6680 and 6681. I haven't seen it mentioned clearly yet, but also the Media Transfer Protocol has been licenced, so that could mean the phone will show up as a media device in Windows Media 10." jfanning mentions also that Nokia has licensed the Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync protocol for business phones.

5 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Where's my stream? by EspressoMachine · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I want my mobile to be able to stream music. And for that matter, I also want my car stereo to be able to receive streaming audio. Downloading is so yesterday, who wants to pay per song? As a Rhapsody subscriber, I'd love to access my playlists through my phone or my car - Get on it, guys!

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    Despite conventional wisdom, I've discovered you can blame a guy for trying. It's called "attempted murder".
  2. Interesting by Joshua53077 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It does make sense that the media companies (i.e. MS, Apple, Napster, etc.) are trying to lock up license agreements with cell phone makers but why wouldn't these companies go after the cell phone providers instead? I mean, if Apple came up with an agreement with Verizon to be their exclusive provider of music, wouldn't it force the cell phone makers to engineer apple's DRM and iTunes into their future phones? And put another way, if I were a cell phone carrier, wouldn't I want a piece of the action and the opportunity to control media standards?

  3. Missing Sync by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Palm also licensed the MS ActiveSync (Outlook/Exchange protocol). Now Nokia. How does an open source project, like Open-Xchange, license a product like that? Beyond the legal issues of GPL on software that depends on a (very) proprietary license (which can be overcome by partitioning the licensed SW over IPC APIs), how does the project negotiate with MS, and be trusted to honor the agreement? How to pay? If this is all doable, what are we waiting for?

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  4. It's not just Microsoft doing this by Buran · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... and why doesn't the story reflect that? Motorola reportedly showed off their new iTunes-compatible phone today, too!

    The dirt on the Motorola E1060 - Engadget - www.engadget.com

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    i am a soviet space shuttle
  5. Re:Because after all, we all love... by skubeedooo · · Score: 4, Interesting
    When I'm listening to my mp3 player, i can't hear my phone ring. And i can't feel it vibrate because it's usually in my bag (i don't like leaving it in my pocket all the time). This obviously causes a problem, because if i'm expecting a call then i have to not listen to music, and if i'm not expecting a call then i'll probably miss it.

    And regarding batteries, i have a charger at home and at work. Most of my friends have nokia phone chargers. If listening to music through my phone reduces the battery to, say, 5 hours, then i probably won't care.

    I find it really bizarre how the slashdot community has so many neo-luddites. Just because this technology is not perfectly set up for how YOU listen to music, or how YOU use your phone, it doesn't mean it isn't good for others. Sometimes i get the feeling that my grandparents are more adaptable to change than the average slashdot reader.