Brief The European Commission has approved HP's proposed takeover of Synstar, the UK-owned computer maintenance-to-disaster recovery group.

The transaction will not significantly alter HP's share of the IT services market, the EC ruled, noting the "significant number of global viable competitors as well as the large number of local or regional competitors that remain in the European market".

HP made a $300m cash offer for Synstar on 9 August. It gains 1,500 corporate customers throughout Western Europe and offices in in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. ®

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