AT&T, Microsoft in Wireless Partnership

AT&T; Wireless Services Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are teaming up to sell wireless communication devices and services to businesses. The companies said they’ll conduct joint sales, account planning and marketing. New services and wireless devices will go on sale in the fourth quarter.

Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, is striking partnerships in industries such as wireless-phone service to help it sell new software programs as demand for personal-computer software slows. AT&T; Wireless, the third-largest mobile-phone company, wants to boost sales by getting customers to spend more time using phones, laptops and hand-held computers to retrieve corporate records.

Terms of the partnership weren’t disclosed. Microsoft shares fell 12 cents, to $47.98, in Nasdaq trading Wednesday. AT&T; Wireless fell 17 cents to $4.69 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading.