The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) yesterday said it was launching the probe to establish whether the deal would "result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the
It comes eight months after Microsoft announced it would buy
The deal had already been given regulatory approval in the US and
Just three days ago, Reuters reported that sources familiar with the transaction had said it had also been given "unconditional approval" by the
According to the CMA statement, the deadline for interested parties to comment is
It will come as a significant setback for the deal, which had been expected to close this year. If it goes ahead, it will be Microsoft's second-biggest acquisition after its
The merger plans build on a partnership inked between the two companies in 2019 to combine the health firm's technology with Microsoft's cloud services.
It also marks increased demand for health tech services after the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a shift to virtual medical consultations.
Microsoft has been ramping up its cloud offerings for specific industries, including the launch of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare last year.
Beyond healthcare, Nuance also helped to develop Apple's Siri voice assistant and makes software for a range of other sectors including the automotive industry.
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