The move was expected and is important for ST-Ericsson (Geneva, Switzerland) where profitability has suffered due to business turmoil at Nokia and elsewhere in the mobile phone sector over the previous quarters. ST-Ericsson has also made efforts to gain design wins in China and recently announced its NovaThor chipset is designed-in with HTC for a smartphone to be distributed by China Mobile.
"We are pleased to have been selected by Nokia as a key partner for Windows smartphones, in line with our goal to be present in all segments and major operating systems," said Gilles Delfassy, president and CEO of ST-Ericsson, in a statement. "Our NovaThor platforms continue to gain traction as they enable customers to bring great smartphones to the market."