MMS -- Multimedia Messaging Service -- has finally come to the Apple iPhone.

On Friday, AT&T and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) made good on earlier promises to activate the feature, which gives iPhone 3GS and 3G users the ability to send send messages with video, audio and pictures.

Like SMS text messaging, MMS is interoperable between networks, so it works even if the two handsets involved in sending and receiving run on different types of wireless network technology.

While AT&T (NYSE: T) has supported MMS on own its network for some time, the feature still hadn't been turned on for the iPhone 3GS and 3G -- even after June's update to version 3.0 of the iPhone software added MMS capabilities to 3G and 3GS models.

The lack of MMS capabilities even after iPhone OS 3.0 shipped prompted protest among iPhone owners and several lawsuits charging Apple and AT&T with false advertising.

AT&T blamed the delay at least in part on having had to take steps to ensure its network could handle the influx of new data being sent once the iPhone's MMS goes live.

Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.