Microsoft previously invested $5 million in the spoken word digital download company in early 1999. The money was used to help fund its business operations before Audible's IPO launched in July of that year.

In the last several days, New Jersey-based Audible has changed its pricing platform to lure new users to download spoken audio content. Now, the company says it can count on the cash infusion from MS to extend its content and technology to new audiences, including wireless customers.

"Wireless allows people to be untethered, whether exercising, or in their car. MS provides systems and technology in the software space for us to take our content to the airwaves," says Audible's CFO, Andy Kaplan.

Kaplan also says a series of agreements with the Redmond, WA software maker will be announced next week.

In the future, Microsoft could cut deals to use Audible's Web site as a platform to tout its Internet software and services. These days Microsoft appears to be as much an Internet company as a software provider, according to Alley pundits.

For now, the companies say they plan to work together to co-market Audibles audio services to consumers and corporate customers. Kaplan says Audible has 10,000 subscribers and 40,000 "a la carte" visitors to its site, often paying to download one or two audio files on demand.

Audible intends to use Microsoft platforms, including Windows Media technologies to deliver content to those customers and more through deals with other partners. Currently, the company reaches wireless users through PDAs, like pocket PCs, but now it will have the option to send information over appliances scaled to Microsoft's platform.

Already the company has 160 content partners that include audiobook publishers, broadcasters, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers, including the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

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Audible takes a 12 percent royalty from audiobook publishing houses upon download. The company pays a range of percentages to its content partners, including Amazon.com, which recently reduced a $10 million cash commitment from Audible to $2.5 million.

In early morning going, Audible was trading at $1.94, up $1.06 or 120 percent from its close yesterday at 88 cents.

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