The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave Hewlett Packard Enterprise the green light to acquire Juniper Networks, following European Commission (EC) approval last week, clearing another major hurdle towards completing the $14 billion deal.

In a brief announcement, the CMA explained it had given its approval following an investigation into the proposed tie-up launched in June, a process designed to determine if the transaction could harm competition in the UK and other markets.

The EC similarly ruled the acquisition will not significantly reduce competition in the networking equipment segment, adding the companies are not close competitors.

HPE first announced its deal to purchase Juniper Networks in January. It expects to close the deal in early 2025 at the latest and regulatory clearance from the duo’s home market of the US could be the only other major roadblock.

When announcing the deal, HPE pushed its AI focus, stating the proposed combined business will ramp up its “edge-to-cloud strategy with an ability to lead in an AI-native environment”.