Nokia purchasing Symbian

Nokia is planning on purchasing the remaining shares of UK-based Symbian for $410 million.

The Symbian software, which is used in over two-thirds of smartphones, will be made royalty-free to help boost phone sales and to respond to the market encroachment of powerhouse Google.

The move also puts a lot of pressure on Microsoft, whose Window's Mobile operating system is Symbian's closest rival. According to research firm Strategy Analytics, Microsoft charges $8 to $15 per phone, compared to Symbian which only charges $4.10.