Both TomTom and Tele Atlas requested 10 more days for EC review of the acquisition. This pushes the date of completion to May 5, 2008. In the mean time, TomTom stock dropped a bit last week, but the company reported marketshare in the US was up. Units sold says NDP were 30.6 percent for TomTom in November, while Garmin slipped to 29.3 percent.

What does the delay mean?

SNS Securities analyst Martijn den Drijver said the request could indicate the companies expected the Commission to demand extra concessions in order to allow the deal to go ahead.

- Reuters

Oh, and if you missed it yesterday, TomTom sent a letter to customers assuring them fair treatment, among other things, after the acquistision. I couldn't find a copy of the letter, but GPS Business News has the story. I think Ludovic Privat is quite correct that the intended recipients are not customers, but rather the EC who must rule on the deal. He writes: "This letter can also be read as a public statement to the European Commission which has recently extended the review of the deal feeling that “the proposed merger raises serious doubts with regards to vertical competition concerns”."