What’s been the most innovative technology in retail over the past few years? If you immediately thought of Square, you win. The POS hardware/software combo has made it easier than ever for small businesses to accept and process credit card payments at any time and anywhere. Now Microsoft wants a piece of the pie.

In a new video from Microsoft, the company envisions a world where everybody – retailers and consumers – own Windows devices. In this fantasy world, retail associates can use NFC to sync a consumer’s Windows Phone with their Windows tablet to find which products they most desire. Windows devices are also seen being used as POS stands so customers can check out in more places.

While this Windows device fantasy land is obviously something Microsoft wants to happen, it’s not reality. The above video does, however, convey the very real transformation of retail thanks to technology. A number of mobile devices, ranging from Android and iOS to even Windows Phone, are transforming how retailers sell and how consumers buy.

It’s obvious that Microsoft is ahead of the curve when it comes to transforming retail, but will it really just rely on trying to sell Windows devices to do so? If anything, Microsoft should work on some software solutions for all devices to take on Square and others. For all we know, that’s probably in the works, but it certainly isn’t going to stop trying to sell Windows devices to businesses anytime soon.

Image via Windows/YouTube