Nvidia’s acquisition deal to acquire British design house Arm Ltd. has been a hot topic for months now and it seems that many in the industry and the government have problems with the deal receiving a green signal. According to the latest reports, the deal is facing hurdles with the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The deal was announced last year by NVIDIA and it was outlined at that time that the deal should be closed by March 2022 by the earliest. However, the deal was previously delayed by the Chinese market authorities and the European Union’s European Commission goes on summer break and didn’t receive the relevant paperwork from NVIDIA.
All this resulted in the United Kingdoms Competition and Market Authority (CMA) creating hurdles for the graphics maker. The CMA and Brtish Commerce Secretary Mr. Oliver Dowden are investigating whether the deal will harm four crucial British interests. This suggests that they have some problem with Nvidia acquiring Arm.
According to sources, the U.K. is “considering blocking a takeover” of Arm by NVIDIA after a report submitted to Mr. Dowden last month states that the deal will “contain worrying implications for national security“. The investigation carried out against the deal was to determine if British interests involving a threat to national security, news presentation and freedom of speech, financial system stability, and public health considerations will be affected by it.
However, it’s also true that if the authorities are planning to conduct a possible threat to the United Kingdoms national security then it will result in a deeper review of the affair by the U.K. sources also indicate that there is a possibility that fearing national security concerns the U.K government might ask Nividia to keep Arm’s headquarters in Cambridge and retain the company’s 3.000 employees. All his will result in severe complications for the deal and will result in the delay of original completion.
Since the delays caused by the European Union, the United Kingdom, and China and amidst concerns from this superpower who are all pondering whether to move ahead with the deal or simply bury it, NVIDIA’s aim of closing the deal by March next year simply won’t come true. The chip designer might have to extend the closing date to September 2022.
