Nokia looks to boost N8 smartphone with Symbian Anna release

Improvements include faster browser and new business functionality

Nokia has released the Symbian Anna update in the UK in a bid to breathe life into the ailing mobile platform.

Handsets eligible for the update include the Nokia N8, C7, C6-01 and E7. The update is available now and offers a number of improvements, according to Nokia.

Key business features include full meeting request support, hardware-accelerated encryption and secure intranet access for those using IPsec and SSL VPNs.

Symbian Anna also incorporates a portrait Qwerty keyboard, a faster browser and enhanced maps. C7 handsets will also have NFC technology activated.

Anna contains a number of useful tools for developers, including Flashlite 4, Java Runtime 2.2, Qt Mobility 1.1 and Qt 4.7.

The update can be accessed via Ovi Suite on the PC or the SW Update app on the phone. Nokia recommends the Ovi Suite method as Anna is a large download. Customers attempting an over-the-air update are advised to use a reliable Wi-Fi connection.

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop has gone on record as stating that Symbian will be supported until 2016, but the platform will take a back seat when the first Windows Phone devices launch at the end of this year.

Nokia's MeeGo operating system faces a similar fate. The Nokia N9 is due to receive a limited release this year, and is expected to be the only device running the platform.