Game Over? CMA block of Activision deal to set the tone for other regulators April 26, 2023 The UK competition regulator today blocked Microsoft’s $70bn bid for the video game publisher, Activision Blizzard, citing concerns over competition in a fledgling cloud market. The move by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to scupper the deal — Microsoft’s largest acquisition — comes as a blow to the tech giant, which has already announced [...]
Microsoft’s £55bn acquisition of Call of Duty games creator blocked by UK’s competition authority April 26, 2023 Microsoft has had its $68.7bn (£55bn) acquisition of Activision Blizzard blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the regulator confirmed on Wednesday. The CMA blocked the deal over concerns it would lessen competition in the UK cloud gaming market by giving Microsoft it control over where Activision games are available. “Cloud gaming needs a [...]
Microsoft: Shares jump eight per cent as AI helps software giant’s sales beat expectations April 26, 2023 Microsoft beat Wall Street’s estimates for quarterly revenue and profit on Tuesday, driven by growth in its cloud computing and Office productivity software businesses, and the company said artificial intelligence products were stimulating sales. The company forecast revenue in its main segments for the current quarter would match or top Wall Street targets. Shares gained 8.3 per cent in after-market [...]
FTSE 100 close: London ends down ahead of Google and Microsoft results as Primark owner slumps April 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 was dragged lower today as investors fretted over the state of a batch of big tech results on Wall Street rolling in over the coming days. The capital’s premier index shed 0.27 per cent to drop to 7,891.13 points, while the domestically-focus mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the [...]
Under a cloud: Dominance of Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure questioned as Ofcom considers CMA referral April 5, 2023 Ofcom has proposed referring UK cloud services to the competition regulator, citing concerns that key players Amazon and Microsoft could stifle competition. The communications regulator said it has proposed referring the sector to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) after it identified features which make it harder for customers to switch or use multiple providers. [...]
CMA drops concerns over Microsoft takeover of Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard… for now March 24, 2023 The UK competition watchdog has provisionally dropped concerns that Microsoft’s proposed takeover of Call Of Duty developer Activision Blizzard would damage the UK console gaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) last month warned the 68.7 billion dollar (£56.7 billion) deal could result in higher prices, fewer choices or less innovation for UK gamers. [...]
Reining in ChatGPT: AI tech titans must navigate a regulatory maze to thrive in the UK and beyond February 14, 2023 As ChatGPT continues to amaze, and Alphabet and others try to follow suit, Jess Jones explores some of the legal and regulatory challenges facing AI tech, and what they mean for the UK’s ambition to become a science superpower. “The genie is out of the bottle – and it’s hard to imagine how it goes [...]
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard bid would mean higher prices and less choice for gamers, CMA probe warns February 8, 2023 Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of gaming firm Activision Blizzard could result in higher prices, fewer choices or less innovation for UK gamers, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said. In the provisional findings of its five-month investigation into the 68.7 billion dollar (£56.7 billion) deal, the CMA said the merger could make Microsoft stronger, stifle [...]
Apple’s first reported revenue drop in four years adds to tech woes with Google also reporting a decline in sales February 3, 2023 Apple posted its first quarterly revenue drop in nearly four years after pandemic-driven restrictions on its China factories curtailed sales of the latest iPhone . The company’s sales of $117bn (£96bn) between October and December period were down five per cent on the same quarter the previous year, a deeper downturn than analysts had projected. [...]
Microsoft confirms it will cut 10,000 jobs January 18, 2023 Microsoft will be making 10,000 job cuts by the end of the third quarter of this year, the company said today confirming earlier reports. As incomes at Big Tech firms continue to decline, Microsoft has joined giants like Google and Twitter in laying off staff. Earlier today, Microsoft issued a statement, saying that the staff [...]