It’s July. We’re at the halfway point of the year. And because I want 2016 to be your best year ever, I’m devoting this month’s column to sharing five of my favorite ways to generate more sales leads.

Mobile payment systems have been touted as the future of financial transactions, but current systems will need to add biometrics in order to hasten adoption and meet expectations of astronomical growth rates, according to Lux Research.

Omar Mateen, who perpetrated Sunday’s attack at a gay nightclub in Orlando, killing more than 50 persons, and injuring dozens others, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) during a 911 call he made during the incident.

IOActive Inc., a provider of research-driven security services, released the findings of the IOActive Internet of Things (IoT) Security Survey, completed by senior security professionals earlier this year that revealed less than 10 percent of IoT products have adequate security.

For a market characterized as stable, code-driven and conservative, 2015 seemed to be a turning point for many in the fire detection business, marking the true end of the downturn and the return to growth.

The security industry looks to the SDM 100 — a report of 100 of the top security companies ranked by their recurring monthly revenue (RMR) — as a wellspring of industry trends and operational best practices.

There are two major articles in this issue of SDM that stand out for the positive news they offer the industry and, perhaps more importantly, for conveying the idea that fire alarm technology is indeed starting to change — and that is welcome news.

A case recently came before the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma involving a PERS system. The estate of decedent filed a claim against the manufacturer of the PERS system and the company that leased and monitored the system in the District Court of Grady County, Okla.