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 Microsoft Corp. is working toward a deal to provide software for Motorola Inc.'s cell phones for sale to customers of Orange, France Telecom's wireless carrier said. 
 
   
A deal with Motorola, which recently unloaded its 19 percent stake in Symbian, a Microsoft competitor in mobile phone software, would represent a significant step for the world's largest software maker, which is trying to penetrate the market for mobile phone operating systems. 
 
Orange initially flagged the possibility of a deal in a June statement. The Financial Times, without citing sources, reported on Thursday that a Microsoft-powered phone by Motorola would be launched this month. 
Motorola, the world's second-largest handset maker, was not immediately available for comment and a Microsoft spokeswoman did not confirm any deal with Motorola. 
A France Telecom spokeswoman in the United States said that Orange was working toward a deal that included Microsoft-powered software on an Orange mobile phone. 
 
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