Nokia goes all Twango

Nokia has snapped up photo and video sharing site Twango for an undisclosed sum.

The 10-man firm, which has been operating out of a basement in Redmond since 2004, was set up by five ex-Microsoft staff. The service was officially launched in October last year.

Though the site is similar in style to half a dozen competitors, Nokia was apparently drawn to Twango's mobile phone friendly interface and the vision of photo and video sharing as a mobile activity.

The purchase shows Nokia taking another step towards being a service providing company, rather than a mobile phone manufacturer. Customers buying a Nokia handset and using Twango won't be reliant on their mobile operator.

Few operators have made much effort to provide services of this kind, so it's no wonder Nokia's stepped in to fill the gap. ®