Microsoft to get EU approval for Skype takeover
Competition chiefs set to give the nod to $8.5 billion deal
06 October, 2011 by IT Reviews Staff
Microsoft is set to gain the approval of the EU for its proposed $8.5 billion acquisition of online VoIP messaging service Skype.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the EU competition commissioner, Joaquín Almunia, will approve the acquisition - despite the fact that a number of Microsoft rivals had raised their concerns over the deal.
Approval from the EU, if it goes through, will be the second hurdle Microsoft has cleared in the deal, having already gained the nod from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in June this year. The FTC gave its approval, citing that there was already a healthy competition in the market through the likes of Google Talk and other VoIP service providers.
According to reports, there wouldn't be any second-phase investigation for the proposed deal, paving the way for a more or less smooth takeover of Skype by Microsoft. As it stands, similar reviews are still underway in Serbia, Ukraine, Taiwan and Russia.
Once the deal is through, the Redmond-based operating system giant will be able to equip its Microsoft Windows Phone range of smartphones with Skype, and provide video calling capabilities like its rivals Apple and Google. Microsoft has stated that even after the deal, Skype would always be available for other platforms i.e. iOS, Android, etc.
The decision is likely to be announced tomorrow, but the European Commission has so far issued no comment on the deal.
