Sprint and Microsoft this week jointly announced availability of Windows Live Search on most of Sprint’s mobile phones, as part of a new strategic alliance between the two companies.

Beyond this initial application, it remains to be seen where the strategic partners will invest their energy, but Michael Inserra, director of strategic alliances at Sprint, said the two companies “are focusing dedicated resources around the relationship. Microsoft will be an important strategic partner that can help our sales teams. We’ll work with the Microsoft sales organization. The alliance doesn’t just cover products, but a number of applications that could be in vertical markets or in the consumer market.”

Michael O’Hara, general manager for the service provider business within the Microsoft’s Communications Sector, said that though Microsoft has developed alliances with other carriers--BT being a good example--this non-exclusive partnership is a first for Microsoft in the U.S. carrier market. He added, “The Web world and the telecom world are coming together, and Live Search is an example of something where we have assets to leverage. We’re developing a wide range of services to be made available through service providers.”

Windows Live Search allows mobile users to search for location-based content from the Internet, such as nearby stores and restaurants, as well as Sprint’s catalog of ring tones, games, screen savers and related services. The service also provides new opportunities for highly relevant and targeted local advertising, which will benefit businesses and consumers alike, according to a statement from the companies. The service is now available free to Sprint PCS Vision and Power Vision subscribers.

To find local content, users punch in their ZIP code, address, or city and state. Future versions of the service will allow users to give permission to automatically locate them through GPS and show the nearest businesses that match their search. Though many users still have older phones that don’t have a GPS function, the capability is included on all of the phones currently sold by Sprint, a company spokeswoman said.