Nokia adds Microsoft Exchange email to 80 million devices

Nokia has confirmed it will add Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync email system to as many as 80 million of its mobile devices.

The world's largest maker of handsets said it would be enabling Microsoft's Mail for Exchange on 43 of its S60 range devices, including many Nseries and Eseries handsets. Phones with access include the new E71, E66 and the new N96.

People who already have one of the devices will be able to set up Mail for free via a download or by accessing their settings wizard, Nokia said.

Nokia also said that Exchange support would be available out of the box on future versions of the Eseries and the Nseries phones.

"The costs of mobility are contained as companies are able to use existing Microsoft Exchange infrastructure, and there is also the strong possibility that a large number of employees already have one or more of the 43 Nokia devices that enable Exchange ActiveSync," said Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president for markets at Nokia, in a statement.

Nokia is the only one of the top four handset makers which does not offer Microsoft's Windows mobile operating system on its devices, preferring its own Symbian OS.