EC Pauses Broadcom - VMware Deal Probe

EC Pauses Broadcom - VMware Deal Probe
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The European Commission paused an investigation of a $61 billion Broadcom takeover of VMware. The probe was halted after a request for additional information from the US chipmaker.

An EC representative said that holds were implemented in cases where companies had failed to provide information the body requested within a set period. It recommences the probe after receiving the information, with the overall timeline adjusted accordingly.

The EC opened the probe in December 2022 to examine whether the deal would enable Broadcom to restrict competition for certain hardware components that interoperate with VMware’s software, with a focus on network interface cards (NIC), and fiber channel host-bus and storage adapters. It is also examining if the transaction could impact the development of smart NICs and if Broadcom would bundle its own software with VMware’s virtualization offering, preventing this from being offered as a standalone product.

The US Federal Trade Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority are also investigating the deal. Broadcom originally targeted completion by end-October.