In the early forties of the 20th century, Western Union has used the first time a commercial intercity microwave transmission system. In the 30's of the twentieth century, Western Union has become the world's largest telegraph company. Separation of the companies had two objectives: first, to give Western Union the opportunity to develop more intensively, and secondly, to help First Data to return to its original activity (in 1992 the company separated from the payment system of American Express as an independent financial services company). In 2007 the company made 167.7 million transactions on money transfers between individuals and 404.6 million transactions between physical and legal persons. Thanks to cooperation with Western Union the Associated Press at the end of the XIX century took almost monopolistic position in the U.S. market news. In 1849, Selden and Sibley, the founders of the future Western Union, created the New York State Printing Telegraph Company.