Nokia and Sapio today announced that they have signed an agreement where Sapio is to develop, promote and facilitate mobile printing solutions and services in the Nordic region.

Based on the agreement, Sapio is to identify and collaborate with interested service providers in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark in order to upgrade their existing printing infrastructures to support and offer direct mobile printing services to Nokia Nseries users. Sapio enables service providers to deploy and market their services in Nokia Nseries multimedia computers quickly and conveniently. Via seamless integration of their printing services in Nokia Nseries devices, the service provider is able to promote and distribute their service under their own brand directly in the handset.

With no need for a PC or a separate photo printer, Nokia N71, Nokia N73, Nokia N80 and Nokia N93 users can access the printing services in the Nordic countries where the service is available immediately after capture or from the Nokia Nseries device's Gallery. Users simply need to select the images they want to be printed, select the preferred printing service provider, insert an address and press Order prints. The order is then processed by the service provider and prints will be delivered to the consumer by mail or to an associated retailer where the consumer can pick them up.

"Sapio and Nokia will enable printing service providers to truly realize the full potential of the mobile imaging market," said David Hunter, CEO of Sapio, and added: "The end-to-end solution we are providing creates an easy to use service and this combined with access to established service providers in each market will facilitate the expansion of mobile image printing to the benefit of all concerned."