Nokia says no plans to cut staff after Symbian buy

LONDON (Reuters) - The world's top mobile phone maker Nokia (NOK1V.HE) said on Tuesday it had no plans to cut staff at its S60 technology unit after announcing it was taking over UK-based Symbian.

"I think the job cuts would be highly unlikely in the future. There are absolutely no plans," Kai Oistamo, the head of Nokia's devices business, told Reuters on sidelines of a news conference.

"There will be even bigger need of innovation, to be ahead of the curve, when we are making this platform. There's never been an overflow in this industry of talented and skilled people."

Earlier on Tuesday Nokia said it would pay $410 million for the remaining shares in UK-based Symbian and make its software royalty free to boost phone sales and respond to new rivals such as Google (GOOG.O).

Nokia will contribute Symbian and its S60 software assets to a Symbian Foundation. Other members will put in their UIQ and MOAP software to create a new joint Symbian platform in 2009.

UIQ -- a joint venture of Sony Ericsson and Motorola (MOT.N) -- said it has started lay-off talks with 200 of its 375 staff.

(Reporting by Marc Roca; editing by Sue Thomas)