EC Plans Deeper Probe of Oracle/PeopleSoft.The European Commission European Commission, branch of the governing body of the European Union (EU) invested with executive and some legislative powers. Located in Brussels, Belgium, it was founded in 1967 when the three treaty organizations comprising what was then the European Community has decreed de·cree n. 1. An authoritative order having the force of law. 2. Law The judgment of a court of equity, admiralty, probate, or divorce. 3. Roman Catholic Church a. that it will be extending its review of Oracle Corp's hostile bid to acquire PeopleSoft (PeopleSoft, Inc., Pleasanton, CA, www.peoplesoft.com) A software company that specialized in enterprise-wide applications for client/server environments. Initially specializing in human resources, its package offerings covered the gamut including financial, distribution, manufacturing Inc. Following an initial one-month investigation, the EC announced the four-month in depth probe would be necessary because of the size of the two protagonists. "The initial one-month investigation has shown that the combination of two of the largest competitors COMPETITORS, French law. Persons who compete or aspire to the same office, rank or employment. As an English word in common use, it has a much wider application. Ferriere, Dict. de Dr. h.t. in the market merits further analysis," the Commission said. The announcement follows a similar decision by US antitrust Antitrust The antitrust laws apply to virtually all industries and to every level of business, including manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and marketing. They prohibit a variety of practices that restrain trade. regulators and was not unexpected. Oracle was reported to have said it not surprised Commission's decision as it expected a phase two review to be initiated. The company claimed it remained committed to PeopleSoft's acquisition. The Europe's decision is the least of Oracle's worries, though, as it has a four-month deadline within which to reach a conclusion. US Department of Justice has no such time limitations. The EU investigation will focus on the enterprise application software market but may also look at database markets because of Oracle strong presence in the sector. |
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