Mobile operators in the picture for MMS launch

NEWS Orange and Vodafone are preparing to launch MMS picture messaging services in the autumn. Vodafone will launch in seven European markets, including the UK, in the autumn, while Orange has set its sights on a launch date "later this summer". Multimedia messaging service (MMS) is an enhancement of the wildly popular SMS text messaging service. It allows users to send pictures from a phone with a built-in camera to PCs or other compatible handsets. O2 unveiled its plans for an autumn launch two weeks ago, and Virgin Mobile also plans to make picture messaging available as part of a portfolio of new products later this year. T-Mobile, the network formerly known as One2One, was the first to bring MMS to market, with a package covering Austria, Germany and the UK announced in May.