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The first Nokia smartphones running Windows Phone Mango are expected to touch down before the end of the year, and for developers it’s a partnership packed with exciting possibilities. We look at five reasons to get involved.

10 things Microsoft Mango will bring to Nokia Windows Phone

Microsoft already has a expanding Marketplace of software for Windows Phones, but we already know that Nokia Windows Phones will have their own dedicated apps, and with that in mind Nokia has created the Nokia Developer site, an extensive portal for developers interesting in writing apps for the platform.

But what’s the attraction and why should existing Nokia developers be keen to get involved? Well, here are a few good reasons to get you started…

A one-stop shop
Nokia Developer gives you all the tools, resources and utilities you need to bring your apps to life in a single place, complete with the support and community you’ve come to expect from Nokia. It’s truly a one-stop developer shop.

Preferential treatment
Not only will all the support structures you’ve come to rely on be still in place, but existing premium members and publishers will be given exclusive benefits for making the migration to Windows Phone.

Exciting new opportunities
We’ve made no secret of the fact that we’re looking forward to getting our hands on the Nokia Windows Phone hardware, but for developers the potential for breaking new ground on the software side is equally exciting, with 1,500 new APIs to get to grips with.

Best of both worlds
Developers have already been set at ease with news that the global reach of Ovi Store will be kept intact within the Windows Phone Marketplace, with services like operator billing remaining untouched. However, combined services – such as integration with Microsoft’s Bing search engine, for instance – offer exciting new possibilities to extend that global reach still further.

Easy to get started
Not only does Nokia Developer give you all the resources you need to write great apps for Nokia Windows Phone, but getting started couldn’t be easier either thanks to a wealth of helpful guidance and advice right at your fingertips.

We’ve spoken enough about what Windows Phone Mango has to offer from an end user point of view, but what do developers think of the possibilities opened up by the switch to Microsoft’s mobile OS? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.