Nokia says its forthcoming Symbian Belle operating system, which is expected by the end of the year, will include a range of Microsoft productivity applications.

They’ll be called Microsoft Apps and will include mobile versions of Microsoft Lync and Microsoft OneNote. A further update in the first half of 2012 will introduce Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint as native applications.

In a couple of deals that echo Microsoft’s agreement with HTC in April 2010, the software giant has come to separate agreements with Acer and ViewSonic.

In Acer’s case, the two companies have “executed a patent license agreement that includes broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for Acer’s tablets and smartphones running the Android platform” - and with ViewSonic they’ve “signed a patent agreement that provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for ViewSonic’s tablets and mobile phones running the Android or Chrome Platform”.

HTC has bought a number of patent from Google in a bid to strengthen its legal case against Apple.

It’s amended its US International Trade Commission complaint, it’s amended a similar US legal case and has filed a new case as well.

Orange has launched what it’s calling the UK’s first multimedia ‘swappable’ benefits on a Pay Monthly tariff.

The company’s ‘Panther’ tariff now lets customers choose from a menu of premium benefits, with the option of changing their choices every month. In addition, Panther will still include an allowance of minutes, text messages and data.

Everything Everywhere has appointed Red Bee Media to provide a new mobile TV delivery platform.

It’s part of the company’s plans to upgrade the Orange and T-Mobile mobile TV service. Everything Everywhere says all this activity will help achieve a six-fold increase in its mobile TV subscriber base over the next three years.