After being bypassed and outclassed by other companies in the mobile-technology space, Microsoft has announced plans to chuck its old Windows Mobile operating system and start afresh with the Windows 7 Phone Series. Judging by company's big reveal at the Mobile World Congress--and the ensuing buzz in the blogosphere--the rebooted Microsoft phone may already be a surprisingly strong contender. After the successful launch of Windows 7 operating system last year, Microsoft announced on Monday that the company will soon be launching its Windows 7 Phone Series. No date was mentioned at the Barcelona announcement yesterday, but some expect the phones to be out in late 2010--just in time to be a holiday offering.