Nokia Store will stop accepting apps designed for the Symbian and MeeGo operating systems from the beginning of next year.

In an email sent to developers, Nokia said updates for existing apps built for the platforms will also be rejected, which is somewhat unexpected considering the company had previously said it would offer support for Symbian until 2016.

While the company stopped shipping Symbian OS devices some time ago, there is still a sizable installed base in a number of markets.

The email, published by All About Symbian, stated that Nokia will now focus its support and investment on the Windows Phone platform and its Asha feature phone line, due to “the growing business opportunities” they represent.

“Over the next few months we will be transitioning our active developer support away from Symbian and MeeGo,” it added.

Existing Symbian and MeeGo content in Nokia Store will continue to be accessible while developers of paid apps will continue to receive revenue from their products.