MOBILE phone company Orange has launched its new photo messaging service which it hopes will herald a new era in the industry.

The new technology allows people to take digital photographs with a camera clipped on to their handset and send it to other users.

The picture, plus text and a voice message, can be sent to others with an appropriate handset, on the same network or to an email address.

Text messages can also be sent to people without the new hardware, directing them to a website to access the information.

The company, which employs 5,000 people in the North-East, launched the innovative Sony Ericsson T68I handset last week. With a clip-on camera it retails at just under £200.

The Nokia 7650, which will cost £250 to £300, is due to be launched soon. The picture quality will be much better on this handset and Orange anticipate a wide range of business uses.

A broader range of handsets will become available in the run up to Christmas, by which time Orange hopes to work together with other networks to achieve interoperability.

David Taylor, commercial director of Orange UK, said: "These new messaging services open up an exciting new world for the Orange community. Our customers will be among the first in Europe to use these new photo and picture content services."