A recent report by the 'Secure Our Smartphones Initiative' has revealed that Google and Microsoft will soon sign a deal with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to activate the theft-deterring 'Kill Switch' in their respective mobile operating systems - Android and Windows Phone.

The 'Kill Switch' feature, which Apple included in its iPhone last year, gives smartphone users the ability to deactivate their stolen handsets. Google and Microsoft will be introducing the 'Kill Switch' mechanism in their mobile operating system as part of an agreement with mayors and police agencies.

As a result of the move, the forthcoming smartphones running the Android OS or the Windows Phone OS will boast the inclusion of the 'Kill Switch' feature, which will render the devices inoperable in case of theft.

About Google's and Microsoft's decision to activate the 'Kill Switch' in their operating systems, Schneiderman said that the commitments of the two bigwig companies underscore "giant steps toward consumer safety."

Noting that the statistics released in the 'Secure Our Smartphones Initiative' report highlight the "stunning effectiveness" of kill switches, Schneiderman said: "In just one year, the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative has made tremendous strides towards curtailing the alarming trend of violent smartphone theft. We will continue the fight to ensure that companies put consumers' safety first and work toward ending the epidemic of smartphone theft. "