Nokia is set to acquire US-based mobile browsing firm, Novarra for an undisclosed amount.

The role of mobile browsers is rapidly increasing in the overall ecosystem of mobile web as companies aim to garner a greater share of the mobile web traffic which can help them to derive greater role in mobile web advertising space and also to enhance the end-user experience.

Nokia’s acquisition of Novarra is widely perceived to be a step in such a direction.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be completed by Q2 2010.

Novarra specializes in developing mobile browsers as well as platforms to serve content, advertisements and videos. It is privately held and has over 100 employees. It has business alliance with Vodafone, Verizon, Yahoo and Qualcomm as some of the prominent names.

Nokia in an official statement said that Novarra’s browser service technology would provide improved mobile web experience on its mainstream mobile phones. It plans to incorporate the technology into its Nokia Series 40 mobile system, which is one of the most widely used mobile software, the company said.

“Connecting the next billion consumers to the Internet will happen primarily on mobile devices," said Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President, Services, Nokia, "and delivering an optimized internet experience on our devices is core to our mission. By driving innovation in all segments of our portfolio, we are building one of the largest consumer audiences for web services and content. Novarra's Internet services technology delivered on the world's most widely-used mobile platform, Nokia's Series 40, will help us achieve this."