In February 2009 the company entered into an agreement with Fexco to acquire 100% of its shares for $ 159.9 million. Western Union offers one of the easiest ways for families and friends to send money and stay connected almost anywhere in the world. In order to increase competitiveness and market expansion of its services, Western Union launched a program of loyalty Western Union Gold Card for customers, who has repeatedly made money transfers via Western Union. 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. One of the common kinds of money transfer is a transfer via the international system of Western Union. Transaction with Fexco has allowed Western Union to control directly more than 10 thousand points of service, which belonged to Fexco in 7 European countries (Spain, UK, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Finland). Western Union made so that the time in all of American civil services was the same.