Microsoft employees encouraged to write Windows Phone 7 apps in their spare time

The company got lots of attention yesterday when it took the unprecedented step of promising to hand out Windows Phone 7 devices to every employee. But this is about more than boosting worker morale.

In the internal memo outlining the plan, Microsoft mobile chief Andy Lees encourages the employees not only to use the phones themselves but also to "evangelize" them and develop apps for Windows Phone 7 "in your spare time" through a newly launched employee developer program. It's an interesting move that shows how the company is marshaling all its forces in an effort to regain momentum in the mobile market.