Nokia has acquired mobile Internet browser and software platform vendor Novarra for an undisclosed sum. Chicago-based Novarra is a privately-held company with around 100 employees, and was founded in 2000. In a statement, Nokia said it will incorporate Novarra’s Internet services technology onto its own Series 40 platform (designed for lower-end devices) and is also later this year preparing launch of “a new service offering utilising the Novarra technology platform.” The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2010 and will see Novarra become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the world’s largest handset vendor. Nokia is using this latest acquisition to help it provide users with an improved mobile web experience on low- to mid-tier phones. Nokia is an existing customer of Novarra, and the Chicago company has also won vendor deals with Palm, as well as operator deals at the likes of Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, Vodafone and Hutchison 3G.

Other recent acquisitions by Nokia include the purchase of social networking firms Dopplr and Plum Ventures. Last July it also bought German social networking firm cellity for an undisclosed sum, following deals with Loudeye, Twango, Enpocket and Plazes, as well as the US$8.1 billion it spent on digital mapping company Navteq in 2007. Last September Navteq acquired location-based mobile advertising firm Acuity Mobile.