14 DEC 2021
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into a proposed $19.7 billion acquisition of Nuance Communications by Microsoft, the latest in a series of moves by the regulator to put the brakes on technology mergers.
The CMA invited comments on the proposed transaction, noting in a statement these proceed the opening of an initial phase probe. It is concerned over the potential for the deal to result in a substantial reduction in competition.
Comments can be submitted until 10 January 2022, after which the CMA will take a decision on a fuller probe.
Microsoft wants to buy Nuance Communications for its speech recognition software, which uses AI and is widely deployed in the healthcare sector, a market the software company is keen to penetrate further with its cloud services.
Authorities in the US cleared the takeover, with a European Commission review ongoing.
When Microsoft announced the deal in April, it aimed to close by the year-end.
The CMA last month ordered Meta Platforms to undo an acquisition of Giphy, while a broader UK government review of an Nvidia move for chip designer Arm is ongoing.
