Microsoft Tries for Verizon Deal: Report

Microsoft

(MSFT) - Get Report

is working to steal a deal with

Verizon Wireless

away from its rival

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, reports the

Wall Street Journal

.

Microsoft has gotten the attention of Verizon Wireless by offering a sweeter deal to put its search service and related advertising on Verizon phones. Microsoft also is offering more generous revenue sharing and a guarantee of substantially higher payments to Verizon, say people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reports.

Google has been talking with Verizon for months to make its search engine the default on most Verizon phones, the

Journal

reports.

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between

Verizon Communications

(VZ) - Get Report

and

Vodafone

(VOD) - Get Report

, is considering both companies' offers and hasn't made a final decision, though it is leaning toward Microsoft, the

Journal

reports, citing the people close to the matter.

Microsoft's move shows how it is trying to put together a new arsenal against Google, taking this step just as Google abandoned a search-ad partnership with

Yahoo!

(YHOO)

amid opposition from the Department of Justice.

This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.com.