Due to regulatory requirements and consumer demand in Germany and France, MoneyGram opened company stores in both countries. Understanding that being in another country, you may not be fluent in the local language, that's why MoneyGram always tries to talk to you in your native language. In due time MoneyGram separated from the Western Union and became an independent brand. Since going public two and a half years ago, MoneyGram has made great strides by pouring energy and resources into several critically important areas for business. In 2011, a global network of agents of MoneyGram has grown up to 256 000 service points, thus its growth is 24% compared to the same period of the previous year.