Noticing that they’re losing ground against Google and Apple when it comes to the implementation of Near Field Communication technology, Microsoft is thinking of bringing it to the Windows Phone 7. According to an article published in Business Week, two anonymous sources have come forward with this information. The software giant plans to include the technology in upcoming releases of their mobile OS to cut the lead that Microsoft is losing to the rest of the industry,

Having NFC features may be crucial to Microsoft’s efforts to boost shrinking market share. Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft is expected to hold about 5.5 percent of the mobile operating system market this year, compared with 39.5 percent for Android, 15.7 percent for Apple’s IOS, and 14.9 percent for Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry, according to IDC, a consulting firm in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Microsoft is likely to get support in its mobile payments effort from Nokia Oyj, the handset maker that recently said it will use Windows Phone software on its devices. Nokia said it will make NFC a standard feature of its 2011 smartphones based on the Symbian operating system.

Also noted in the article, Microsoft already has 14 patents that mention NFC technology, the most recent of which was awarded on March 22^nd. If anything, it shouldn’t take these two anonymous sources to suggest that the international software corporation and mobile handset developer is getting into the game. After all, Google started this thing and has been pushing it full bored and Apple jumped on board not too long ago. If Microsoft wants to stay in the game, they’ll have to be quick.

This is probably a good time for Microsoft to tug the strings of their deal with Nokia. The Finnish handset manufacturer has been in the business for quite some time and as they’re expected to start producing phones for the Windows Phone 7 OS may already have had their sights set on incorporating NFC technology into their handsets—noting especially that Symbian expected to have it integrated with Symbian during this year.

NFC looks to be gearing up to become the digital-wallet technology of the decade for mobile to brick-and-mortar payments. In fact, Google recently forged a deal with MasterCard and Citigroup to extend the penetration of NFC systems across retailers and other store locations that mobile users might visit. The introduction of such equipment means that it’s a very good time for Microsoft and Nokia to enter the field and give customers a reason not to jump ship across to iOS and Android devices so that they can take advantage of this technology.

The article goes on to quote a consultant ABI Research for a claim that NFC-enabled phones are expected to “…double in 2012, from 35 million shipped in 2011.” Also they quote research firm Gartner that 2014 will see 340 million global wireless users using mobile payments.