EU: US giants at it in Brussels, Salesforce against Microsoft over Linkedin deal

When earlier this year Microsoft snapped up the world’s headlines by announcing it would have acquired LinkedIn with a colossal $26.2 billion deal, everyone was already preparing for the shockwaves this move would have generated.

Last week, US cloud computing company Salesforce.com openly urged European Union regulators to block the acquisition over unfair competition concerns. The breaking news made clear that antitrust will be once more a huge weapon for competition, and that the match will be once again played on the EU field.

US giant Microsoft Corp. announced three months ago a deal to buy the world’s largest professional networking platform LinkedIn, with an all-cash deal worth a total of $26.2 billion, $196 a share. The deal represents the company’s largest purchase and one of the biggest technology acquisitions ever in history. Microsoft indeed has been chasing the acquisition desperately, in a strong attempt to revitalize its activity after some tough years behind competitors. Chief Executive Satya Nadella openly declared he was hoping the deal will open new horizons for Microsoft’s Office suite to escape a saturated market.

The entire Redmond, Washington-based company had hoped indeed to get EU approval quickly and to be able to close the deal in the next few weeks, however the situation looks now a bit more complex. Last Thursday, the Californian Salesforce.com openly said the deal threatens innovation and competition, and formally urged the European Union, regular punisher of Microsoft, to take a close look at Microsoft’s takeover of LinkedIn through an official statement.

Full Content: The European Sting

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