Industry leaders we've conversed with while transitioning to another new year have given us reason to believe 2016 will be highly rewarding for payments. Those who have assessed the changing landscape, planned accordingly and taken consistent actions in line with their objectives feel they are well positioned to take advantage of both current and emerging opportunities.
Some larger payments enterprises have found the next step for them is to be acquired or to launch an initial public offering (IPO). Others are in acquisition mode. This issue's lead article details the very active state of IPOs in the industry. Even as some consolidated companies are bringing sales and other functions in-house, new frontiers still proliferate for ISOs and merchant level salespeople.
Some opportunities have arisen because of our increasingly connected, digital world. One area involves bringing big data power to small merchants. One of our features explores how big data practices might affect individuals' privacy and what to consider when dealing with protected consumer information; another discusses developments in real-time payments; also in features is a look at the gains made by digital wallets in the past year; and we've also reported on how digital payments have both shaped and boosted year-end holiday spending.
Contributing writers have gotten 2016 off to a strong start with articles on the potential to significantly increase charitable giving by making it virtually automatic and painless; the enduring importance of honest, old-fashioned relationship building; predictions for payments in 2016; and why aiming for a middle-class income can lead to tremendous success over time.
In the news, we've covered China UnionPay's expansion of mobile POS options; the Global Payments acquisition of Heartland Payment Systems Inc., which is expected to be finalized early this year; a gain of time for financial institutions disputing the proposed settlement in The Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. breach lawsuit, and more. In addition, news stories that didn't make it into print can be found under Breaking Industry News on our home page, www.greensheet.com.
As expected, we've also included briefs on company milestones and appointments, awards, expansions, new partnerships, product innovations, acquisitions, research and other industry developments of note.We hope to serve you, our readers, better than ever in 2016. Please let us know what other information we can provide to aid you in your career. And remember, send press releases to press@greensheet.com; send feedback to greensheet@greensheet.com. 
The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact names or information may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.
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