Microsoft, Motorola Strike Bing DealMicrosoft, Motorola Strike Bing Deal

Microsoft is continuing to buy its way into the mobile search market with a new deal with Motorola, which has agreed to use Microsoft's Bing search on Motorola's Android phones.

The deal, which is slated to debut on Motorola phones in China, puts Google in a slightly awkward position, because its Google Android platform will be featuring a mobile search engine supplied by its archrival Microsoft.

Consumers, however, may presumably install Google's search engine on Motorola Android phones on their own. Motorola has already announced it will use Yahoo as the presumptive search engine on its Backflip Android phone.

By keeping Google's search engine off its phones slated for marketing in China, Motorola's use of Motorola's Bing may be helping Google defuse its censorship dispute with China.

Motorola, which is hoping to ride the popularity of the open architecture of the Android platform to recapture lost cell phone market share, says simply that it is trying to appeal to consumers. "We believe that consumer choice is one of the most critical components to ensuring a rich and seamless client experience," said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services at Motorola Mobile Devices in a statement.

A year ago, Microsoft and Verizon Wireless partnered in a deal to offer Microsoft's search capability on Verizon's portfolio of wireless phones. The companies followed up on that deal by offering Microsoft's Bing search engine on Verizon smartphones.

In another agreement that crosses company lines, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Series are being prepared to carry Adobe's Flash 10.1. Earlier, Google said its Android platform will support Flash 10.1. Apple has been resisting the use of the Adobe technology on its iPhone.