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. The Western Union Company is a leader in global payment services In 1879 Western Union left the telephone business after losing a lawsuit against Alexander Graham Bell - the patent holder on the phone. The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States.