Irish VoIP solutions firm, Cicero Networks, on Wednesday launched a Symbian version of its dual-mode VoIP client software for Nokia’s S60 handsets.

The Dublin-based outfit claims the solution – CiceroPhone – will allow “seamless roaming between… wifi and cellular networks”. The software will be available by the end of November.

According to Cicero, the software routes calls automatically over the best available network – wifi or cellular. Intelligent routing rules ensure cost and quality are optimised on all calls, the firm said.

Nokia has sold more than 8 million S60 handsets and Cicero is betting the high volume model will champion wVoIP in time for Christmas.

“We started on Symbian in 2002, but our early development on series 60 devices hit an intractable roadblock,” said Ross Brennan, chief executive officer of Cicero, “the inability for handsets to support full duplex audio. We switched track to the Windows environment, but re-started development of a Symbian client in summer 2005 because of the future release of Nokia E-class handsets.”

According to the latest research from technology analyst firm Canalys, growth in the converged device market remains strong. The overall year-on-year market growth of converged devices in Q2 2006 (smart phones and wireless handhelds) was 73 per cent. Nokia dominates the smartphone market, shipping over 9 million Symbian smart phones during Q2 2006, a year-on-year rise of 35 per cent. Canalys estimates that more than 95 per cent of these were S60 models.