UK antitrust watchdog investigates Microsoft's Nuance deal

British antitrust regulators are opening an probe into Microsoft's $16 cardinal acquisition of code designation institution Nuance successful the latest motion they're tightening scrutiny of large exertion deals.

The Competition and Markets Authority said successful a little statement Monday that it's looking into the acquisition due to the fact that of concerns that it could effect successful a "substantial lessening of competition" successful the U.K. market.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft Corp. declined to comment. The institution said successful April that it was buying Nuance Communications Inc., a pioneer successful voice-based artificial quality technology. Nuance was instrumental successful helping powerfulness Apple's integer adjunct Siri but aboriginal shifted to absorption connected health care with wide utilized aesculapian dictation and transcription tools.

The transaction, which was expected to adjacent this year, would beryllium Microsoft's second-largest deal, pursuing the bundle giant's $26 cardinal purchase of LinkedIn successful 2016. Burlington, Massachusetts-based Nuance has astir 7,100 employees, much than fractional of whom are extracurricular the U.S.

British regulators person stepped up scrutiny of tech-related acquisitions. Last month, the contention authorization ordered Facebook to undo its acquisition of Giphy and merchantability disconnected the GIF-sharing level due to the fact that it recovered the deal stifles competition for animated images and hurts societal media users and advertisers.

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