Verizon and Google are finalizing a partnership that would turn over Verizon's mobile search and advertising to Google. Verizon considered a deal with Microsoft, but decided it wanted Google to put its search bar on device home screens because it “could prove attractive to consumers who reflexively use the Internet search engine on their PCs,” reports the WSJ, citing people familiar with the matter.

Verizon picked Google because no one uses Microsoft search. The mobile ad market will hit $244 million this year, which isn't much, but almost everyone's convinced GPS-enabled mobile search is the next Google's next frontier. Google CEO Eric Schmidt told CNBC's Jim Cramer the market will eventually grow to $50 billion.

Source:→ Valleywag