Under terms of the agreement, financial information will be included in zed products which customers can then personalise for their mobile lifestyles, allowing them to select specific shares on the stock markets of their choice, for delivery via SMS or WAP in their preferred language.

News and prices will be constantly updated, enabling customers to access the latest news on demand via their mobile phone, anytime, anywhere and in their local language, says the company.

The agreement with Reuters offers zed a further step into the field of personalised content for its customers. Antti Viitanen, vice president, Sonera zed, comments: "Private investors all over the world will be able to easily access personalised market and investment information whenever they need it."

In a separate development, Reuters has entered into a joint venture with Multex.com Inc. to form a new company, Multex Investor Japan, for retail investors in Japan.

The new company will provide for registered members a range of software applications, Japanese-language news and financial information that will allow them to analyse and manage their own personal investment portfolios. The portal will replicate similar Multex US and European portals.