Group to investigate transaction's impact on market The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into Oracle Corp.’s hostile $7.3 billion bid to take over rival software maker PeopleSoft Inc., the regulator said in a statement Monday.The Commission said that during the four-month probe it will investigate the transaction’s impact on the market for business application software used by large multinational companies.“The initial one-month investigation has shown that the combination of two of the largest competitors in the market merits further analysis especially as the number of key players would be reduced from three to two — Oracle and SAP (AG) — in certain applications software markets,” the Commission said. Software that helps companies coordinate and plan their financial and human resources and their relationship with customers are among the sectors the Commission will look at.In June, Oracle launched a takeover bid for rival PeopleSoft. It notified the Commission about the deal a month ago.Oracle primarily sells database management programs, a market in which PeopleSoft does not participate. However, Oracle also sells business applications software, a market in which it competes with PeopleSoft as well as other software makers such as Germany’s SAP. Enterprise application software helps coordinate a company’s critical business functions such as financial planning and reporting, human resources, customer relationships and supply chain management. These applications are particularly critical to large multinational companies with complex, global operations.The Commission may also investigate any potential effects in the relational database market, where Oracle has a particularly strong presence. The European Commission and the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are cooperating in this case, which requires regulatory approval on both sides of the Atlantic. The probe would end in March. Meanwhile, the DOJ examination of the proposed deal is expected to conclude in January or February. DatabasesSoftware DevelopmentTechnology Industry