The $69.00 billion Activision merger with Microsoft found hope as a rift in the Federal Trade Commission’s stance emerged.
One Democrat from the four-member panel has taken a sympathetic stance and is leaning favorably on the transaction. Through this vote, a two-on-two tie is likely to happen as another panel member had already supported the transaction before. If such a scenario happens, the merger would be effectively approved.
By mid-December, the regulator is set to make a recommendation regarding the deal.
During that time, Microsoft would have a chance to push its case with individual commissioners before the final vote is cast. In light of this, recent reports mentioned that the tech giant is gearing up to defend the transaction.
According to the tech firm, they plan to bring the case to court if the FTC disapproves. Furthermore, Microsoft might even offer a compromise to its rivals and regulators to win the deal. In particular, it has shown its willingness to offer a 10-year licensing deal for Call of Duty to its rival, Sony.
Once the Washington-based company made such a move, the regulator would have a weaker reason to block the case.
Separately, the Communications Workers of America announced its support for the deal in June. This support from the labor union is another factor that the lawmakers may use as a reference for their decision.
Microsoft Edge Hits 11% Market Share
The latest data from a web analytics service shows that Microsoft Edge has finally reached significant growth in the market.
With the appearance of Google Chrome, the tech giant had previously lost its control over the browser industry. However, the launch of the new system has managed to help the company regain its footing.
Although the product’s growth had been slow, its steady pace has instead helped build a solid foundation.
In addition, Microsoft Edge has been the only one among its competitors to see an increase in its share.
According to data, the software’s slow growth continued, while Chrome’s market shares plunged by 0.36%. Moreover, users started flocking to Edge as many criticized its competitor for being overly bloated.
Consequently, it has secured the second position in the browser race, beating Safari, Opera, and Firefox.