Dell set to get EU green light to buy EMC

Dell, the world's third-biggest maker of computers, is set to gain unconditional EU antitrust approval for its US$67 billion (A$94 billion) bid for data storage company EMC, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Dell unveiled the deal in October last year, the largest ever in the technology industry sector.

It is designed to enable Dell to better challenge rivals Cisco, IBM and Hewlett-Packard in cloud computing, mobility and cyber security.

European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso declined to comment on Thursday. The Commission is scheduled to give its ruling on the deal by 29 February.

Dell and EMC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

EMC shares were trading up 0.68 percent at US$25.15 in early trade.

Dell founder and Chief Executive Michael Dell took the company private three years ago with the help of private equity firm Silver Lake.

The computer maker has arranged a debt package for up to US$49.5 billion to help finance the EMC deal, the second-largest M&A financing on record.