Last week at 3GSM, Steve Ballmer introduced a service for Windows Mobile devices which allows them to become endpoints for free voice over IP calls. The immediate significance of this development is unclear–but one thing is sure: it puts Microsoft at competitive odds with Verizon, Cingular, and the rest. Whether or not Microsoft tries to heavily monetize (and therefore market) this service remains to be seen. So far, Microsoft has had very limited success with the service subscription model.

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