Broadcom and VMware have received approval from the European Union to go forward with their merger.
The $61 billion merger was allowed to pass only after Broadcom agreed to give rival Marvell independent access to VMware for 10 years, an independent trustee to monitor that access and a fast-track dispute resolution process.
“The commitments offered by Broadcom will enable its only rival, Marvell, to continue competing on equal footing and ensure a similar protection for any future entrants,” Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president in charge of competition policy for the European Commission, wrote in announcing the decision.
Broadcom said it welcomed the commission’s decision but noted it still has regulatory hurdles in front of it, including with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the United Kingdom.
“We welcome the European Commission’s decision to clear Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, subject to conditions,” the company said in a statement attributed to a spokesperson. “Meanwhile, we continue to work constructively with the CMA as it continues its standard merger review process, and we also are making progress with our various regulatory filings around the world.”
[RELATED: Broadcom’s $61B VMware Deal Is Being Put Through Regulatory Crucible]
In the U.S., the deal is still in the hands of the Federal Trade Commission, which told CRN Tuesday it had no comment when asked for an update on its one-year-long in-depth investigation that it has been conducting.
In addition to clearing the European Union, the deal received legal merger clearance in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and Taiwan, and “foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions,” the company said.
This is the second time in two years, Broadcom has struck a deal with European regulators to avoid a protracted legal battle. The first was in 2021 after it was accused by competition authorities in the U.S. and the European Union of illegal trade practices.
LEARN MORE: Mergers and Acquisitions
O’Ryan Johnson is a veteran news reporter. He covers the data center beat for CRN and hopes to hear from channel partners about how he can improve his coverage and write the stories they want to read. He can be reached at [email protected]..
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