EC approves Cisco acquisition of NDS

The European Commission has approved Cisco’s acquisition of NDS after concluding that the combined entity would continue to face competition from a number of strong industry players.

The EC concluded that there was relatively limited overlap between Cisco’s and NDS’s TV hardware and software activities, particularly in the European Economic Area and that the combined company would not have market power in markets where there was crossover, such as between NDS’s pay TV software and Cisco’s set-top business.