Western Union Currently:

Is a leading brand in international money transfers.

Offers a large global network of Agents in more than 245,000 locations spanning over 200 countries and territories all around the world.

Produces revenue of approximately $4 billion.

Enables private individuals and businesses to transfer money and bill payments quickly and efficiently.

Facilitates pre-pay wireless and home phone services, internet services and also loaded mastercards.

Provides a variety of methods to transfer money reliably.

Western Union Landmark Developments:

A few noteworthy achievements in Western Unions rapid development include:

1851 - The New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company was founded, this later became what we now call Western Union.

1861 - Western Union an inaugural transcontinental telegraph line facilitating fast coast to coast communications was completed for the very first time.



1870 - Established as the nations time keeper by helping to standardize time nationally. 


1871 - Western Union's famous Money Transfer service first became available.


1933 - Vocal singing telegrams introduced.


1964 - Western Union replaces poles and wires with a microwave radio beam system.


1980 - Revenue from the Money Transfer service becomes greater than for their telegram service for the very first time. 


1989 - Quick Collect transfers introduced providing flat-rate money transfers. 



1993 - Launches the first disposable telephone card in the United States.


1996 - Colorado becomes the North American Headquarters whilst internationally their presence grows as far afield as Vienna, Paris and Hong Kong.


1998 - Western Union Money Transfer service grows to over 50,000 Agent locations internationally. Offices now open in Brussels and Costa Rica.


2000 - Westernunion.com brings the money transfer service onnline for the first time.

2001 - Western Union hits 150 Agent locations internationally in it 150th year.


2005 - The Western Union Agents combined network  grows to over 250,000 establishments globally.


2006 - Western Union sends it's last telegram as it fully evolves completely into a financial services company transferring money worldwide.

Western Union: 'It's not all money, money money'

Western Union run a sponsorship program which aims to give back to communities and areas in which they operate. They do this by supporting non-profit organisations and events both in the United States and Abroad.

They place particular importance on the following criteria:
Education, health and human services all geared to helping people making positive improvements in their lives and standard of living.

And The Country With The Most Western Union Remittances Is...

Hikmet Ersek, Ececutive Vice President and Managing Director of Western Union, Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia recently stated:

"Western Union continues to create rich opportunities by strengthening its brand, expanding and deepening relationships with consumers by re-investing in growing the business and strategically adding new agent locations to the Western Union network,".
 
"According to the World Bank, India is the largest receiver of remittances with $23.4 billion received in 2006 alone, making it very appropriate that our 300,000th Agent location should be opening in India."

Western Union now provides over 36,000 Indian agent locations spanning over 4,000 towns, villages and cities. This figure represents post offices, leading bank branches and both leading public and private sector companies.