Sprint and VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media have partnered on an enhancement to Sprint Picture Mail.

The enhanced service lets Sprint customers send digital photos and videos straight from their mobile phones to social networking and media sites including MySpace, Photobucket and YouTube. Family and friends can then view them online anytime.

"Using VeriSign's Xoomerang platform, Sprint's goal is to empower Sprint customers to easily share photos and videos taken with their Sprint mobile phone with family and friends through the most popular social networking and photo sharing sites," said Emmy Anderson, spokeswoman for Sprint, Overland Park, KS.

"Sprint customers can now choose where they want to send their photos and videos for online sharing/publishing -- MySpace, Facebook, Photobucket or YouTube," she said.

It is no coincidence that the launch is taking place at the start of the holiday season. The holidays tend to be one of the most popular times for taking and sharing pictures.

The Picture Mail enhancement uses the VeriSign Xoomerang platform to provide uploads from the consumer's Sprint phone to a variety of social media sites.

Designed to satisfy the fast-growing number of mobile consumers who use online social networking and social media destinations, Xoomerang is a mobile media enablement service that lets consumers view and publish videos and pictures onto various online destinations.

With Xoomerang, Sprint Picture Mail subscribers can capture and publish videos and pictures to various Web destinations.

In addition to MySpace, Photobucket and YouTube, Sprint and VeriSign also plan to add other destinations to the service in the coming months.

The Picture Mail feature for posting photos to MySpace, Photobucket, YouTube and other social media sites is available on more than 30 Sprint handsets.

The handsets include the Samsung Instinct, Rumor by LG, MotoRazr2 by Motorola and Katana DLX by Sanyo.

Sprint Picture Mail subscribers with compatible phones will automatically receive the enhancement the next time they upload or share a photo or video on their phone.

Unlimited use of the service is currently included at no additional cost for all Sprint Picture Mail subscribers, including customers on Sprint's $99.99 Simply Everything plan.

With the Ready Now program, Sprint retail associates work with new or existing customers to explain, set up and demonstrate the features and applications of their phones.

Sprint customers can choose how much or how little they want to learn about any phone features and applications.

Customers can schedule appointments either in the store or online via Sprint's store locator tool.

Sprint wants to help families understand how to use social media sites and other Web sites in a safe manner, according to the carrier.

For that reason, Sprint is bringing customers 4NetSafety, a program that opens the lines of communication about Internet Safety between parents and children.

Sprint lets its customers send photos directly from their phone to be printed at one of 9,000-plus retail locations, including 5,300 Walgreens stores. .

Sprint Nextel runs two wireless networks serving nearly 51 million customers at the end of the third quarter.

VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media is a division of VeriSign Inc., a provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world.

Through this business unit, VeriSign provides global application services that deliver SMS, MMS and mobile content across wireless operators and mobile devices worldwide.

As a specialist in mobile messaging, mobile banking and mobile content delivery, VeriSign offers a portfolio of mobile infrastructure and delivery services.

Sprint kept its cards close to its vest when asked about marketing tactics.

"At this point, Sprint plans to send marketing communications to our existing customers," Ms. Anderson said. "We are also planning other activities to promote this new service."