We knew that Microsoft was getting serious about content. Now we know that they're REALLY serious. CRMToday reports, along with other sources, that Microsoft has struck an alliance with Portal Software Inc. to provide easy-to-implement hooks into legacy billing systems to support ecommerce in .NET-based Web Services applications, specifically targeting content purchases as one of their prime objectives. Companies such as Teleknowledge have had some success already in supporting content billing solutions in the media sector, but this move is a significant step towards Microsoft positioning themselves as a serious platform for major portals and other content providers. While content sales via ecommerce-enabled Web Services is a fairly insignificant factor in today's marketplace, expect this to become one of the leading areas of new product and marketing model development for both consumer and professional content in the next two years.