Orange and 02 users able exchange picture messages today

Orange and O2 today announced the first Multimedia Messaging (MMS) interconnect agreement in the UK.

The agreement, a first step the full interconnection between mobile operators Orange hopes will come this Spring, means that Orange and O2 users will be able to exchange photo messages in much the same way they currently send and receive text messages.

From today, all Orange customers will be able to send combined colour photos, text and sound clips to both Orange and O2 customers with photo messaging enabled handsets. Orange users with non-photo messaging handsets will receive a text message inviting them to view their photo message on the Orange website. Customers are also able to send photo messages to email addresses.

Orange customers can take advantage of free photo messaging until the end of February 2003. After then, its users will be charged 40p per photo message sent, regardless if the message is sent to Orange, O2, an email address or non-photo messaging phone. Orange pay monthly customers can also subscribe to a 10, 20 or 40 photo message bundle per month, reducing the cost of each message to 30p.

Orange and O2 hope their interconnect agreement will encourage more punters to get the photo messaging habit. ®

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