Verizon Wireless, the second-largest cell phone carrier, has partnered with the largest software company, Microsoft, to turn the cell phone into a music player and challenge rival music services from Apple and Sprint, reports Red Herring. Verizon's service, V Cast Music, announced on Thursday, enables users to play, buy, download music via a mobile phone or PC. Microsoft's Windows Media technology is used to play songs on the PC and transfer songs between PC and phone.

Verizon and Microsoft believe the cell phone will become users' portable music player of choice. To get past the current storage space limitations - with room only four or five songs - Verizon is selling 1 GB, 2 GB (and soon 4 GB) memory cards that can plug into the phone.

The Verizon service launches Monday and will cost $0.99 for a single download from an internet-connected PC, and $1.99 to download over a cell phone. Sprint charges $2.50 for a download over a cell phone. Other PC-based music services, such as iTunes, charge $0.99.