Nokia: 'We won't fragment Windows Phone 7'

While Nokia busily beavers away on its first batch of Windows Phone 7 devices, it is also working hard to make sure that its app store integrates seamlessly into the OS' ecosystem.

Speaking with TechRadar, Nokia's Senior Vice President of Developer and Marketplace, Marco Argenti explained that Nokia is determined to avoid fragmenting the ecosystem with apps that are incompatible with other manufacturers' handsets

"We'll create elements of distinction, but we don't want to fragment the ecosystem because in the end we want the whole platform to win," he told us.

Team player

He explained that Nokia's apps will be tailored to its best hardware assets, like high quality cameras and location services.

"There will be exclusive apps but right now we're looking at time-based exclusives rather than fragmenting the catalogue; that's something that every vendor can do.

"But in our case we're also trying to create new apps that really leverage some of the unique characteristics of our devices such as the imaging, the maps, the location awareness – all these differentiators. And we're trying to put those together in the form of apps in a very unique way."

The company is obviously keen to stake its claim on the app store, although it's not clear if Nokia is set to re-brand the entire Windows Marketplace, or if it will simply have its own section in the same way that other manufacturers already do.

"It's going to be branded Nokia," said Argenti. "You'll see the name [of the app portal] when you open the first device; but definitely the word Nokia's going to be there."