Western Union has taken of 451st position in the rating Fortune 500 in 2009, having moved from 473rd line in 2008. 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. Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. In 1866, Sibley ordered the engineers to develop a Western Union telegraph system of stock quotes in real time. 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 1933, by the Western Union Company were invented "singing telegrams". In 1849, Selden and Sibley, the founders of the future Western Union, created the New York State Printing Telegraph Company. The Western Union Company uses the most up to date technologies and its unique worldwide computer network that allows to carry out quick money transfers payments in more than 190 countries around the world.