Microsoft has now finalized the deal to purchase most of Nokia's Devices and Services division and a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to Neowin that the number of former Nokia employees that are now officially on Microsoft's payroll is "approximately 25,000."
The same spokesperson also told us that as of March 31st, Microsoft had 101,914 employees; that means today's Nokia deal increases Microsoft's worker headcount by close to 25 percent.
When the deal was first revealed in September, Microsoft stated that it would add about 32,000 employees from Nokia's ranks. The lower headcount we got today is likely due to the situation surrounding Nokia's India smartphone plant, which has 6,600 workers, not being part of the deal. Nokia has agreed to operate the plant for at least another year under a contract for Microsoft but those workers won't officially be Microsoft employees.
While the deal itself is now finalized, the process of integrating Nokia's workers and operations into Microsoft has only just begun. In a statement today, Microsoft said, "The completion of the acquisition marks an important step in bringing these two organizations together as one team, a process that is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete."
Image via Microsoft
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