In February 2009 the company entered into an agreement with Fexco to acquire 100% of its shares for $ 159.9 million. 1998 - the number of points of money transfers worldwide reached 50,000. The network of money transfers of Western Union is the world's largest. 1980 - for the first time in the history of Western Union revenues from money transfers exceeded the income from the telegraph service. In 1920, Western Union has implemented the world's first transmission of images over the ocean. 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.