Just like those annoying people who queue up at the EasyJet desk even though the plane has yet to arrive so they get the best seat, Microsoft has attempted to grab the best position at the 3GSM World Congress with a raft of announcements before most journalists have got off the plane.

Microsoft is going to be out in force this week, schmoozing and boozing as many operators and handset manufacturers as possible.

One of the big fights to look out for this week will be over the operating systems for smartphones, those devices that do everything except make a cup of tea. Here the battle is between Microsoft, Symbian - the joint venture dominated by Nokia - and Linux, which recently signed up with Motorola.

First blood at Cannes seems to have gone to Microsoft but rest assured that Symbian has some deals up its sleeve - according to the buzz it will announce its involvement with a new 3G phone for the European market.

But back to Microsoft. Firstly, it has signed up T-Mobile to sell its SPV smartphone from the summer. Orange is already selling the Windows-powered device but T-Mobile is getting a new version, codenamed Tanager, which is made by the same people - HTC - but, thank God, has a bigger keyboard than the old model which was a pain to text on.

Microsoft also has a range of new partners. Last year it teamed up with Intel and separately with Texas Instruments to release new reference designs for two new phones. While the Texas Instruments phone is still on the shelf, the Intel-based phone will be made by Wistron Corp, the guys that make Dell's PDAs. It does not yet have a name but could be in the shops in time for Christmas.

Microsoft has also signed up Samsung to produce the Windows-powered SGH-i700 which is basically yet another personal digital assistant (PDA) but has a very robust in-built camera for picture messaging.

Microsoft's operating system will also be used by MiTac of Taiwan in its new clamshell smartphone which also comes with a built-in camera as standard. So far the phone has no operators signed up so we will have to wait and see whether there is a market for the first clamshell smartphone.

Germany's T-Mobile has also linked up with Microsoft's MSN operation to use its Pocket MSN suite of products which means customers will be able to use Instant Messanger, Hotmail and the usual Windows contacts book on their phones.

Finally, Microsoft also announced that Orange will be the first operator to join its Mobile to Market programme designed to bring operators and developers together.

But with other operators such as Vodafone - with its Vodafone Live product - trying to bring as much expertise in-house as possible, cynics might suggest that joining up with Microsoft is a convenient way for Orange to save its cash-strapped parent France Telecom a bob or two.