A team of mobile phone software experts in Newcastle is about to see its first game launched on the Orange mobile phone network.

The BlueskyNorth team is also finding success on the other side of the Atlantic with the company's products now available on one of the biggest US mobile networks.

Though the company currently has a team of just four working from offices on Pink Lane, BlueskyNorth expects to grow substantially this year as demand for its services increases.

The company operates in making content for mobile phones using Flash Lite software, which is more sophisticated than conventional Java, allowing for a standard of graphics usually associated with the internet.

Communications director Paul Lamonby said: "Later this month, on April 20, we will have our first game on Orange called Fickle Blocks, which is the first major Flash game released on a UK operator. It's quite a coup for us to be doing it.

"We are in talks to release our content on two other major UK operators, who also overlap into Europe.

"And we are working with handset manufacturers and a couple of operators on research and development projects at the moment".

Mr Lamonby said BlueskyNorth had established its position in the marketplace through three years of work to become a leader in its field.

Having become close to giant software house Adobe, and carried out prototype work in Flash for many big brand names, BlueskyNorth was last year taken over by US company Smashing Ideas.

Mr Lamonby said: "Since the acquisition, we have secured a distribution deal with a major US carrier.

"So now we can sell our content - wallpapers, screen savers, and - soon - games, direct to consumers."

Rather than have to market its products in a conventional way, BlueskyNorth's content is available through the carrier's customers being able to download it from their phone as Smashing Ideas is one of three approved suppliers.

The four-strong team at BlueskyNorth has worked for some global brand names, but is almost always bound by Non Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) so they cannot publicise the quality of work they are involved in.

Mr Lamonby said this was frustrating, but the quality of the work the company is now attracting was very satisfying.

He said despite being majority owned, the BlueskyNorth team retained some independence - and hence incentive to develop as a company.

He said: "We have retained a big stake in the strategy of the company, in its creative direction, and we've retained a financial stake. So we have all sorts of incentives to move forward."