Microsoft courts Verizon in search deal

Microsoft is trying to pry Verizon Wireless away from its rival Google in a deal revolving around which company's search engine is the standard on most of Verizon's phones, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Though Google and Verizon have been in talks for months about a deal, Microsoft is trying to poach Verizon from Google by offering a better deal with more incentives. According to people familiar with the matter, Microsoft is offering more revenue sharing and substantially higher payments to Verizon.

Verizon is still considering both companies' offers and has not made a decision. Microsoft is trying to leverage its position against Google, and saw an opening as Google's advertising partnership with Yahoo fell apart this week. 

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