Xbox Companion Shown off at Nokia World

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Microsoft and Nokia are serious in their partnership, which is evident in the recently-concluded Nokia World 2011, where developers and users got a glimpse of upcoming Microsoft and Windows Phone 7 technologies.

Microsoft was a strong presence at the Nokia World 2011, where the company showcased its various smartphone and console-gaming technologies. Among these was a live demonstration of the Xbox Companion application for Windows Phone 7 handsets.

Xbox Companion lets users search for content that can be shown via their Xbox 360 right on their WP7 smartphones. Users can also browse for content using their smartphones and use the basic controls on the phone to manipulate playback on the Xbox 360.

With Xbox Companion, Bing information and other metadata (such as title, production information and other details about the content currently being shown) are also included. The demo also showcased a tile featuring “Vudu movies,” which might mean Microsoft is working with the Wal-Mart owned company for showing movies on Xbox LIVE. Note that Vudu is currently a PS3-exclusive.

With Internet-based TV being predicted as the next big thing, brands like Apple and Google are gearing up with their respective technologies, mostly with their smart TV devices interfacing with portable devices like Android smartphones, iPhone and iPad. Microsoft is set to update Xbox LIVE this Fall, and close integration with Windows Phone 7 handsets is among the most anticipated features. Will Microsoft be able to implement close IPTV, mobile and even console gaming integration with Xbox Companion?