The Microsoft and Nokia merger got one step closer to completion as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its evaluation of the acquisition.
The DOJ approved Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia in a transaction granted on Nov. 29, but revealed by the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition on Dec. 2.
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"We look forward to the date when our partners at Nokia will become members of the Microsoft family, and are pleased that the Department of Justice has cleared the deal unconditionally," a Microsoft spokesperson stated, via ZDNet.
The approval of the DOJ came about a month after Nokia shareholders agreed to the deal.
The next step for the Microsoft and Nokia merger involves the European Union (EU). Antitrust officials from the EU are tasked to decide if Microsoft's acquisition violates any of the organization's competition rules. The EU could issue a decision as early as Dec. 4.
As Latinos Post reported, Microsoft confirmed it would buy Nokia's phone division for $7.2 billion.
"It's a bold step into the future - a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies," said Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer in a statement in September. "Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft's share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services."
Microsoft's relationship with Nokia has been documented since 2011 when the first Nokia Windows Phone launched with the Lumia 800. The Microsoft-Nokia partnership continued in 2013 with the recent launch of the Lumia 1020 and Lumia 1520 smartphones.
According to Microsoft, the tentative merger is projected for final approval by early 2014.
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