Multimedia Messaging Service Coming to iPhone?

Multimedia Messaging Service, also known as MMS, may soon find its way onto iPhones with the blessing of the mobile network carriers and Apple.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is the mobile phone standard for sending multimedia files such as photos to other cell phones. It has been a feature long sought after ever since the arrival of the original iPhone. A swedish company, Mobispine, announced that it would make a “white label” MMS service available to mobile network carriers to enable this capability on the iPhone. It is being marketed directly to global wireless carriers as a “new and innovative service” that will “increase revenue per user and generate profits for operators.”
For us, the consumer, it is billed as an “easy, convenient and cost effective communication with colleagues, friend and family.” Because this application integrates seamlessly with iPhone’s contacts, camera and photos, the ability to send and receive MMS messages should be fairly simple.

MacWorld Sweden has reported that swedish mobile network operator Telia will soon offer official Multimedia Messaging Service for the iPhone.

Some interesting thoughts to ponder:

If this feature requires the involvement of the wireless carriers, then why can’t Apple, in conjunction with the carriers, develop a solution for the iPhone as they did for SMS messaging without the interference of a third party?

What would Mobispine or any other third party, contribute to this feature that Apple and the networks would be lacking in their implementation of this service?

Lastly, if MMS messaging does incur additional charges, then email and text messaging would suffice for me.