We all know Windows 7 phone is just round the corner and like us, all of you are also waiting eagerly for the new phone to hit the market soon. It’s too early to foretell how the new smart phone will fare in the industry, however what we do know is that you will be able to spot quite a few people around you flaunting this new handset from Microsoft’s stable. As a matter of fact, we’ve even got numbers: 90,000.

Microsoft loves its employees and its recent announcement has spread a new wave of joy across its offices all over the world. Got the hint? According to a recent announcement from the Redmond company, all its 80,000 employees will be gifted the new Windows 7.  The happiness of these employees can be well judged from their Twitter stream chirping about MGX. The kind gesture is sure to cost the company some serious dollars but then its something that Microsoft’s most furious rivals Apple and Google have also done with their major phones.

A viral effect with word of mouth and hands on experience.

It is definitely a clever move that is sure to give Microsoft a perfect platform to market its new phone. Think of it like this. We’ve often loved to check out the new phone that our friend has just bought. After fiddling around with it for some time, we might make up our mind to get one for ourselves or may be recommend it to somebody shopping around for a new phone. That’s the kind of viral effect this strategy will have with the added bonus of being able to get a hands on experience to make the decision before purchase. With 90,000 phones already out in the wild, its pretty attainable.

Here’s an internal email from Andy Lees, Microsoft’s Senior VP of mobile stuff: (Gizmodo)

“With all the buzz, a lot of you are asking how you can get your hands on a phone and get more involved. So, I am thrilled to announce that a new Windows Phone 7 will be made available to every Microsoft employee as we launch in each market around the world. The process will vary based on your market, your carrier, and your launch date so stay tuned for more information closer to launch.”

From the initial reports on the web, Microsoft ‘s Windows 7 phone sounds a good phone and is can be a potential rival to the recently released iPhone 4 and other Androids in the pipeline. Looking forward to get my hands on this one.