NFC payment is getting quite the buzz these days, and apparently Microsoft has catch up with the trend. Good news for corporates. Bloomberg has two anonymous sources saying that Microsoft will outfit the next version of Windows Phone 7 with software support for near-field communications, and bake NFC tech into WP7 smartphones as early as this year.

Google is also reportedly working on a similar plan, complete with partnerships in the credit card space, RIM may or may not be arguing with carriers over its Bank of America trial, and the general consensus around the water cooler is that Apple won’t be pursuing contactless payments this year.

SOURCE via Bloomberg