Connected Economy

The innovations in technology, connected devices, software, payments and cellular technology make it possible for people and businesses to connect with each other and do business via any device, an in any digital or physical location safely, securely, and in real time. This integration of the digital and physical worlds will transform the economy across the ten pillars that today represent its key cornerstones – pillars that are already experiencing the impact of disruptive innovation as new blended, digital-first experience-driven ecosystems are now taking shape.

David’s Bridal Makes Its SaaS Play for Wedding Vendors With Pearl Connect

David’s Bridal Makes Its SaaS Play for Wedding Vendors With Pearl Connect
David’s Bridal Makes Its SaaS Play for Wedding Vendors With Pearl Connect
September 16, 2026  |  Merchant Innovation

Watch more: Need to Know With Elina Vilk of David’s Bridal A bride can tell a wedding planner her date, budget, venue and preferences, then...

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Mastercard Dreamonomics Report Finds Smaller Businesses Prioritizing Stability
Mastercard Dreamonomics Report Finds Smaller Businesses Prioritizing Stability
September 15, 2026  |  Payment Methods

Small businesses are putting a premium on predictability. Across more than 6,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) surveyed in 18 countries for Mastercard’s inaugural Dreamonomics...

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How $100 Million CFOs Are Setting Their Neocloud Budgets
How $100 Million CFOs Are Setting Their Neocloud Budgets
September 10, 2026  |  Artificial Intelligence

Forget neobanks. Neoclouds are becoming the hottest new thing in the enterprise tech stack. As artificial intelligence drives unprecedented demand for GPUs, power and data...

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EverBank-WaFd Deal Bridges Banking’s Digital and Branch Divide
EverBank-WaFd Deal Bridges Banking’s Digital and Branch Divide
September 08, 2026  |  Banking

A merger between EverBank and WaFd pairs digital reach with a large branch network at a time when banks are finding value in customers who...

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Trace Finance CEO: Stablecoin Scale Still Runs Through Banks
Trace Finance CEO: Stablecoin Scale Still Runs Through Banks
September 08, 2026  |  Cryptocurrency

Stablecoins may replace part of the machinery used to move money across borders, but they will not eliminate banks from international payments, according to Trace...

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Smart Checkout Gives Merchant Data New Bargaining Power
Smart Checkout Gives Merchant Data New Bargaining Power
September 04, 2026  |  Connected Economy

Payments platforms have plenty of transaction data. Smart checkout is raising the value of the merchant information they do not have. The technology can draw...

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Lawmakers Test the Rules for AI Agents That Move Money
Lawmakers Test the Rules for AI Agents That Move Money
September 03, 2026  |  Payments Innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) agents, stablecoins and tokenized securities put some of the mechanics of digital finance before lawmakers Wednesday (Sept. 2), including how software-driven transactions...

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Digital Sales Give Small Businesses a Map for Growth
Digital Sales Give Small Businesses a Map for Growth
September 03, 2026  |  SMBs

Digital channels gave small and medium-sized businesses more than reach in 2025. They gave those companies a measurable growth edge: Digital-led SMBs were 14 percentage...

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