The recent acquisition of TellMe by Microsoft, piqued my interest in the free voice driven directory assistance service, 520-Find and the possible role that Google plays in the service. Mobile directory assistance will have a huge role in both local search and local advertising going forward. Clearly, Google has an interest in this field, it just isn't clear how that interest will pan out.

So the question remains: What is the relationship of 520-Find to Google? How does the service run with no obvious source of income? Will the recent purchase of TellMe force 520-Find into a more public position?

Mike Blumenthal is a student of life, political economy and local search. He writes the blog Understanding Google Maps and Yahoo Local Search and is a partner in a small web design company in upstate NY. The Locals Only column appears on Mondays at Search Engine Land.