Expanding on research done for our two-part series on the evolving small and midsize business sector that appeared in The Green Sheet's two January 2019 issues, the current lead article explores how the Internet of Things (IoT) is spurring evolution in the payments realm with a new population of commerce-enabled machines that are challenging entrenched notions about our industry. It takes a deep dive into five core capabilities of the IoT that help protect assets while facilitating fast, fraud-proof, frictionless payments: connect, secure, manage, analyze and build.
Delving into another area of technology vital to payments, one of our contributing writers suggested we come up with new terminology for tokenization that would make the concept easier to grasp. Retailers, for example, coined "swipe fees," which was instantly understood and swiftly replaced "interchange" in crucial conversations. Other industry experts share insights on why it is critical that the retail experience, particularly at checkout, be fast and convenient; how ISOs and MLSs comprise the ideal channel to bridge the gap between legacy terminals and smart POS systems for merchants; what MLSs should consider when deciding whether to be an employee or independent contractor; and what industry insiders thought about POS systems when they began gaining traction in 2007.
We post several news stories per week on our home page, and selected excerpts from those are inside, including reports on two tradeshows that took place in January, the National Retail Federation and Northeast Acquirers Association; Target's expansion of NFC at 1,800 U.S. locations; Jason Oxman's resignation from the ETA to pursue another opportunity after seven years at the helm the need for merchants to become better informed about changes to chargeback resolution procedures; the merger of titans Fiserv and First Data; and a spike in buy online, pick up in-store fraud.
No issue would be complete without updates on individual and company awards and milestones reached, pertinent research, new and innovative partnerships, acquisitions and appointments highlighted in Industry Update. And you'll find product and company profiles here, too, as well as commentary on the payments industry intended to inform and inspire you.
We always welcome feedback at greensheet@greensheet.com. Tell us what your burning payments issues are and where you could use a hand with professional development. And thank you to those who have been sending press releases to press@greensheet.com. We are always delighted to help spread the word for you. 
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