And now for Microsoft . . .

Windows Live Search (for mobile) has come out of beta and is available for both Java/J2ME phones and the Windows Mobile OS in the US and UK. The downloadable application is GPS enabled (if the device is) and offers category based local search, traffic, directions and maps. In my literally 15 seconds of playing with it this morning I found it to be pretty good and easy to use. I’m heading to NY next week and will test it out more there.

The second piece of news is the larger integration of Windows Live Search and other services (mail, IM, spaces, etc.) into Windows Mobile:

Windows Live for Windows Mobile will provide customers with a rich set of Windows Live services, including Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Live Search and Windows Live Spaces, uniquely designed to work with Windows Mobile software. Windows Mobile powered devices, with their advanced software, processing power and memory, make ideal platforms for the delivery of Windows Live services. Windows Live for Windows Mobile offers one of the first industry examples of a single integrated and presence-enabled contact list on a mobile device. One consolidated list provides customers with easy access to all their Windows Live, Microsoft Office Outlook® and other contacts, as well as relevant presence information.

I believe that the integration of Web and mobile content is a strategic advantage for MSFT, Yahoo! and Google vs independent players and the carriers. But these services all must be easy to use and deliver against the promises they make in press releases.

Again, the reality check is that most mobile data users are texting, and widespread adoption of rich mobile clients or the mobile Internet (WAP) is still probably a couple of years off. However, as mentioned, there are about 30-34 million mobile Internet users in the US today (per comScore, M:Metrics).

We now in the midst of a kind of mobile land grab as the majors and the carriers try to stake out positions and territory for anticipated future mobile Internet adoption.

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Here’s Danny Sullivan’s related post on Google Maps for Windows Mobile and Live Search for Windows Mobile.