Intel® is gaining serious momentum in the mobile market, first with their February announcement of a partnership with LG®, and now with their new mobile-computing partnership with Nokia®.

Nokia, reportedly the largest smart phone manufacturer in the world, will immediately begin collaboration with Intel on new devices that run on the company’s Atom™ processor.  This collaboration has great potential — on paper, at least — for the evolution of mobile devices.

Not only will Nokia benefit by gaining access to new technology, Intel will also be able to license mobile phone technology from it’s new partner to offer to its other customers, perhaps even to LG.  This possibility is staggering; combined, Nokia and LG control almost 50% of the mobile phone market worldwide.  This share makes Intel’s theoretical reach across mobile a powerful one.

The partnership also places Intel in a key position in light of Apple®’s 2008 purchase of PA Semiconductor.  Apple, which uses Intel chips for its Mac® computers, does not use Intel for its iPhone™ or iPod® portable devices.

The Nokia—Intel joint venture goes beyond smart phones, however; both have stated that they are looking to invent a whole new mobile platform, such as Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs).  It will be very interesting to see how the Nokia—Intel partnership develops and especially how it influences the likes of Apple, AMD, Microsoft® (provider of Windows® Mobile) and Google™ (maker of Android) to progress in the development of their mobile technologies.