Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a standard for a telephony messaging systems that allow sending messages that includes multimedia objects (images, audio, video, rich text) and not just text messages as in Short message service (SMS). It is mainly deployed in cellular networks along with other messaging systems like SMS, Mobile Instant Messaging and Mobile E-Mail. Its main standardization effort is done by 3GPP, 3GPP2 and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA).
MMS is the evolution of Short Message Service (SMS) (SMS is a text-only messaging technology for mobile networks). With MMS, a mobile device is no longer confined to text-only messages. It can send and receive multimedia messages such as graphics, video and audio clips, and so on. It has been designed to work with mobile packet data services such as GPRS and 1x/EVDO.
MMS-enabled mobile phones enable subscribers to compose and send messages with one or more multimedia parts. Multimedia parts may include text,image,audio and video. These content types should conform to the MMS Standards. For example your phone can send an MPEG-4 video in AVI format, but the other party who is receiving the MMS may not be able to interpret it. To avoid this, all mobiles should follow the standards defined by OMA. Mobile phones with built-in or attached cameras, or with built-in MP3 players are very likely to also have an MMS messaging client -- a software program that interacts with the mobile subscriber to compose, address, send, receive, and view MMS messages.