Western Union 2007 Annual Report Download - page 15

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Forward-Looking Statements and Selected Financial Data
|| changes in accounting standards, rules and interpretations;
|| competing effectively in the money transfer industry with
respect to global and niche or corridor money transfer
providers, banks and other nonbank money transfer
services providers, including telecommunications providers,
card associations and card-based payments providers;
|| our ability to grow our core businesses;
|| our ability to develop and introduce new products,
services and enhancements, and gain market acceptance
of such products;
|| our ability to protect our brands and our other intellectual
property rights;
|| successfully managing the potential both for patent
protection and patent liability in the context of a rapidly
developing legal framework for intellectual property
protection;
|| any material breach of security of or interruptions in any of
our systems;
|| mergers, acquisitions and integration of acquired
businesses and technologies into our company and the
realization of anticipated synergies from these acquisitions;
|| adverse consequences from our spin-off from First Data
Corporation, including resolution of certain ongoing matters;
|| decisions to downsize, sell or close units or otherwise
change the business mix;
|| catastrophic events; and
|| management’s ability to identify and manage these and
other risks.
||
Selected Financial Data
The fi nancial information in this Annual Report is presented on
a consolidated basis and includes the accounts of The Western
Union Company (“Western Union” or the “Company”) and its
majority-owned subsidiaries. The fi nancial information for the
periods presented prior to the spin-off by First Data Corporation
(“First Data”) of its money transfer and consumer payments
businesses on September 29, 2006 through a distribution of
100% of the common stock of the Company to holders of record
of First Data’s common stock (the “Distribution”) is presented
on a combined basis and represents those entities that were
ultimately transferred to the Company as part of the spin-off.
The assets and liabilities presented have been refl ected on a
historical basis, as prior to the Distribution such assets and liabili-
ties presented were 100% owned by First Data. However, the
financial statements for the periods presented prior to the
Distribution do not include all of the actual expenses that would
have been incurred had Western Union been a stand-alone
entity during the periods presented and do not refl ect Western
Union’s combined results of operations, fi nancial position and
cash fl ows had Western Union been a stand-alone company
during the periods presented.
Our selected historical financial data are not necessarily
indicative of our future fi nancial position, future results of opera-
tions or future cash fl ows.
You should read the information set forth below in conjunction
with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condi-
tion and Results of Operations and our historical consolidated
fi nancial statements and the notes to those statements included
elsewhere in this Annual Report.