In a move that allows more than 70 million wireless customers to exchange picture and video messages with one another directly from their wireless camera phones, Verizon Wireless and Sprint today announced an inter-carrier Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) agreement between the two companies.

Pierre Barbeau, general manager of Picture Mail for Sprint, noted: "All carriers in the wireless industry are moving towards picture-sharing interoperability because it will allow usage to grow, just as it did for SMS text messaging. Interoperability also makes it easier for customers to stay in touch with their family and friends, no matter which wireless provider they choose."

Mobile 365 will provide the interoperability service for Verizon Wireless customers and VeriSign will provide the service for Sprint customers. Mobile 365 and VeriSign support the CDMA2000 1X network standard used by the two carriers.

Jim Straight, vice president of wireless Internet and multimedia for Verizon Wireless, said: "Inter-carrier text messaging has proliferated in the marketplace since it was introduced a few years ago and we believe multimedia messaging between customers on different wireless networks has the same potential. Our customers across the country have embraced picture messaging, and now they can enjoy sending and receiving multimedia messages with Sprint's wireless customers."

Sprint customers can exchange multimedia messages with Verizon Wireless, Cingular, T-Mobile USA and Bell Mobility customers. Verizon Wireless customers can exchange multimedia messages with customers of Sprint, Cingular Wireless, Leap Wireless and U.S. Cellular.