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Nokia to cut 1,800 staff globally

22 October 2010 09:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA-Economics. Nokia is to axe 1,800 jobs globally as part of a new strategy to regroup after falling further behind its rivals in the high-end smartphone market, V3.co.uk reported.

The Symbian^3 or Symbian^4 names are also facing the chop, but Nokia has said that consumers will benefit from "constant improvement in the experience of their Symbian-based Nokia products".

Nokia claimed that there will be continued support for the platform, and that people who have purchased devices such as the N8 will not be cast aside.

Nokia is looking to win over developers by allowing to them to create applications that will reach users across the Symbian and MeeGo platforms, reiterating the stance it took at Nokia World 2010.

This in turn will help streamline operations, as the Qt platform will be used as the sole application development framework tool, the manufacturer said.

"Nokia is focusing on Qt as a robust, tried and tested framework that unlocks the hardware, software and service capabilities of the existing Nokia smartphone range, as well as creating huge opportunities for future Symbian and MeeGo products," the firm said in a statement.

"Nokia’s introduction of Qt Quick into the Qt framework enables the more rapid creation of rich user interfaces and the most visually engaging applications. In addition, Qt’s in-built support for HTML5 complements Nokia’s intention to support HTML5 in web browsers."

Attracting developers globally is a strategic priority for Nokia, so focusing on the Qt platform for native application development and HTML5 for web-based applications is a good move, according to Nick McQuire, EMEA research director for enterprise mobility at IDC.

"This helps clarify a few questions developers had of Nokia, and helps demonstrate that the company understands that its success is very much linked to applications and cloud services in the future," he said.

Nokia is still regrouping after the resignations of chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and vice president Anssi Vanjoki.

The Symbian Foundation, meanwhile, continued its downward spiral earlier this week after executive director Lee Williams stepped down for personal reasons, bringing his two-year tenure to an end.