Intel and Nokia finally form a strategic alliance

After two aborted attempts over the past few years to create the alliance, Intel (INTC) and Nokia (NOK) finally said “I Do” to each other on Tuesday. The world’s largest computer chipmaker and the No. 1 mobile phone maker said that they are embarking on a long-term partnership.

The two companies will create mobiles that will combine the high-performance computing and high-speed wireless communication. Nokia will buy Intel chips while Intel will give licenses to their mobile-phone radio technology to Nokia. “Nokia and Intel share a similar technology vision,” said Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice-president and general manager of Intel’s Ultra Mobility Group. The partnership also plans to collaborate on the software to be used in the devices, which includes the Intel-backed Moblin OS and Nokia’s Maemo OS.

According to the article at Cnet News, both are Linux-based platforms: Moblin is supported by Intel and Maemo is used by Nokia in its Internet Tablets such as N810 (the only modern touch-screen devices that Nokia made until it finally launched its touch-screen 5800 Xpress Music phone in October 2008).

During the press release, Nokia and Intel also said that the mobile products will move “beyond” existing wireless computing devices, including smartphones, netbooks, and notebook PCs. Intel has been trying to create a new class of pocket-sized products it calls mobile Internet devices, or MIDs. Nokia has offered what it calls an “Internet tablet” for several years but has not gained much traction with the device.