In February 2009 the company entered into an agreement with Fexco to acquire 100% of its shares for $ 159.9 million. The presence of Western Union Gold Card at the client greatly simplifies the process of further processing of money transfers of and reduces the operation time for the sending of money, as the "Gold Card" is a carrier of the personal information about the client. 1980 - for the first time in the history of Western Union revenues from money transfers exceeded the income from the telegraph service. Each money transfer is protected with control number, that allows you to track and to ensure prompt payment of money specified by you person. In 1877, starting from September, New York City residents began to have the opportunity to check the time on clock with the "time ball", located on the roof of constructed in the same year a new corporate headquarters - Western Union Building. 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 October 2006 the company made an initial public offering of shares on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming independent from First Data company. In 1849, Selden and Sibley, the founders of the future Western Union, created the New York State Printing Telegraph Company. In October 1871 the company Western Union began to provide money transfer services, drawing on its own extensive telegraph network.