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EU set to approve DoubleClick takeover
European regulators are expected to give Google the nod for a takeover of internet advertising group DoubleClick.The search engine giant is offering $3.1 billion (£1.5 billion) to acquire the firm – which has raised concerns over competition amongst Google's market rivals including Microsoft.
Although permission to take over DoubleClick has not yet been confirmed, analysts are predicting that Google will be given the green light without conditions.
"The deal will ultimately go through,'' Greg Sterling, an analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence in San Francisco told Bloomberg.
A decision must be made by the European Commission by April 2nd – although it is thought that officials could make the ruling public as early as March 11th.
The planned takeover is one of a number of major acquisition attempts by internet giants in recent weeks – including Microsoft's bid for Yahoo on February 1st. Yahoo has not yet revealed whether it will accept the Bill Gates empire's offer of $44.6 billion.
Google News posted on 06 March 2008
