In yet another sign of how the mobile phone market is becoming increasingly important, Microsoft today announced that it plans to acquire mobile data company MobiComp. The Portugal-based company is known for a variety of applications, including mobile back-up, news reading, and a social networking tool that enables users to submit content from mobile phones to sites like Facebook.

MobiComp presently maintains deals with 11 mobile operators worldwide, including a substantial arrangement it secured with Portugal's leading mobile services provider TMN. The acquisition will reportedly help bolster a number of services on the Windows Mobile smartphone platform as well as the Windows Live Web services division. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.