The European Commission has nodded through Nokia’s (NYSE: NOK) acquisition of Oslo-based embedded software firm Trolltech, first agreed in January. The EC’s antitrust authorities found that the companies “are vertically related, as Trolltech’s products can be used in the development of software for mobile handsets”. But the merger passes because “Trolltech’s products have a limited market presence and that Nokia’s competitors would have several credible alternatives to Trolltech’s products, if, after the transaction Nokia were to decide to no longer supply Trolltech’s products to rival handset manufacturers”.

Trolltech’s Linux-based software allows developers to create apps for mobile phones that run across Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Windows, Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) Macintosh OS X and the Linux or Unix OS. The EC cited alternatives included Purple Labs, MIZI Research, Access Linux Platform, Azingo Mobile, the GNOME Mobile Platform and the LiMO platform, a platform released by the LiMo Foundation, a global consortium of mobile network operators and handset manufacturers, including Motorola (NYSE: MOT), NEC, NTT DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM), Panasonic, Samsung and Vodafone.

• Trolltech Acquisition Improves Application Availability On Nokia Handsets: Ovum
• Nokia To Buy Mobile And Embedded Software Firm Trolltech For About $155 Million