So much for this summer of our discontent as the year-long global credit crisis threatens to drag on and the markets seem stuck on an endless roller-coaster ride. The economic vertigo has spread far and wide, thanks to the increasing global connectedness of the financial and corporate communities. For better or worse, it is technology that keeps bringing us together. Our cover story this month focuses on how companies, such as E.I. DuPont Nemours Co. of Wilmington, Del., are linking directly to SWIFT and transforming their treasuries with improved straight-through processing and better cash visibility that enables tighter global liquidity management, so critical in turbulent times. The Belgium-based international banking consortium holds its annual SIBOS event later this month in Vienna. Senior contributing editor Richard Gamble also serves up an in-depth feature on how the shaky economy is driving technology spending as companies scramble to protect assets and, yes, improve cash visibility, especially with ASP-hosted solutions. More technology is on the bill with executive editor's Beth Karlin's story on how continuous internal auditing and monitoring can help companies avert trouble, and another story from Richard looks at how vendors are partnering to assemble best-of-breed solutions, especially for cash management, also the topic of Treasury and Risk's survey this month. Keeping increasingly global supply chains from disconnecting is a challenge that can be met by applying enterprise risk management principles, writes senior contributing editor Russ Banham. And closer to home, Beth reports on innovative companies evolving their 401 (k), or defined contribution, plans so that they function more like the pensions of days gone by, providing more money for retirement and perhaps lifelong income. Here's hoping crisp September with its roll-up-your sleeves attitude banishes at least some of the leftover summertime blues.