Sprint is ready to offer the HTC 7 Pro which runs on the new Windows Phone 7 platform from Microsoft  but theres a catch.

The gadget guys at Boy Genius Report say theyve confirmed with Sprint that the carrier will be taking pre-orders for the new HTC phone on Nov. 8, but you have to be a Microsoft employee to get in on the offer. No other details were immediately available, like price, or when the average Joe will be able to get his hands on the device; however, HTC has said that it wont go on sale to the general public until sometime next year.

Microsoft officially introduced the Windows Phone 7 platform last month along with a handful of phones to go with it. But the OS faced an uphill battle from the start when Verizon Wireless wouldnt carry any phones for it in 2010.

It will be interesting to see how Windows Phone 7 fares considering Android and iOS have taken huge bites out of Microsofts mobile market share, which has virtually evaporated from the public consciousness. Its put up or shut up time in the mobile space for the Redmond, Wash.-based computer giant.