This Financial Insights report provides an overview of SWIFT for Corporates and the implications for corporates and their banking partners. The financial crisis has dramatically increased the pressure on corporate treasurers to find new sources of capital and increase the performance of their current cash management providers. SWIFT, the international financial messaging organization, has for several years been developing ways for corporates to connect directly to its network, freeing them from proprietary bank connection standards and allowing them to cost-effectively manage multiple banking relationships.

According to Aaron McPherson, practice director at Financial Insights and a coauthor of the report, "2009 will be an inflection point for direct corporate access to SWIFT as corporates are forced to move away from their traditional banking relationships and seek new providers. This creates new opportunities for technology vendors, SWIFT service bureaus, and those banks that have invested in products to take advantage of direct SWIFT connectivity."