Nokia says 9 more firms sign up for Symbian pact

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Nine more firms, including telecom operators "3" and TIM, have lined up to support the new open mobile software alliance Symbian Foundation, the world's top cellphone maker, Nokia, said on Thursday.

Nokia said on June 24 it would buy out other shareholders of UK-based smartphone software maker Symbian for $410 million and make its software royalty-free to other phone makers, in response to new rivals such as Google Inc (GOOG.O).

Nokia will contribute Symbian's assets to the not-for-profit organization, Symbian Foundation, in which it would unite with leading handset makers, network operators and communications chipmakers to create an open-source platform.

Nokia said the foundation has now 30 members after also mobile operators 3 (0013.HK), America Movil (AMXL.MX) and TIM (TLIT.MI), chip firm Marvell (MRVL.O), and services and software providers Aplix (3727.T), Elektrobit EBG1V.HE, EMCC Software, Sasken (SKCT.BO) and TietoEnator (TIE1V.HE) joined.

(Reporting by Tarmo Virki; Editing by Paul Bolding)