Microsoft is busily courting ailing smartphone makers, those left outside the Android/Apple tide. Nokia is already onside of course, bringing its maps and web services, as well as its handset base, to Microsoft’s mobile web drive. Now the Windows giant is getting closer to RIM, which has made Bing its default BlackBerry search engine.

The importance of the deal – and of Bing in driving Microsoft’s overall web attack on Google – was seen when CEO Steve Ballmer joined RIM executives on stage at the BlackBerry World conference in Florida this week. The deal will see Bing search and maps (which will soon incorporate Nokia Navteq) into BlackBerry phones at operating system level.

bron:Rethink Wireless