Nokia and Yahoo! Team Up to Launch 'Project Nike' - The UpStream

This came across our desk a few days ago:

Please join us for a Yahoo! press conference

Please join Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz for an exciting announcement about providing global consumers with rich online and mobile experiences, and bringing forward a new era in keeping consumers connected.

Because of that, we went and reached out to our sources, who have informed us that Nokia plans to build Yahoo e-mail, search and several other of their applications into a selection of their devices. This, however, is unrelated to a previous discussion these two companies had about creating a Yahoo-orientated phone.

The partnership, code-named "Project Nike", looks to finally be coming to light after years of discussion about working together. Yahoo has tried several other mobile-based ventures, most of them failing, but looks to really make a big deal about Nokia. Yahoo needs to link with a hardware provider in order to even pose a threat to Google, who has pretty much failed with the Nexus One, but has succeeded with their Android operating system.

Those facts, along with Nokia struggling to keep up with the mobile world refocusing to smartphones, are all the reasons needed to move this slow-planned deal onto the fast track. Yahoo has also purchased a social publishing company, Associated Content, earlier this week for $90 million. This also goes in-line with Nokia's investor day next week in Silicon Valley, which they will more than likely discuss the deal and keep investors happy.

In the years past, Nokia hasn't had a huge success in the US market and Yahoo has launched products miles behind Google's moves. Maybe this deal will allow them to create an idea that is valuable and wanted by consumers. We'll see next week when we join in on the press conference. We'll bring you all the news we find right here on the UpStream!