Dan Shapiro

Ontela has scored a major deal to provide the technology for a new mobile photo sharing service being offered through Verizon and PhotoBucket.

The service -- dubbed PhotoBucket Mobile Uploader -- will allow users of about 20 Verizon phones to have photos immediately uploaded to PhotoBucket. The application costs $2.99 per month.

"Verizon is one of the big gems in any mobile company's portfolio," said Ontela Chief Executive Dan Shapiro, who has been working on securing a deal with the carrier for more than two years.

Ontela's service has now been deployed by about two dozen carriers, though Verizon is by far the biggest. With it, Ontela now has the potential to reach some 75 million mobile phone users with its application for transferring images between camera phones and personal computers.

This also marks the first time that Ontela has worked with PhotoBucket, one of the largest online photo services with more than 25 million unique visitors per month in the U.S.

Shapiro said that PhotoBucket is a great partner because both companies specialize in very simple, easy-to-use services. For example, the service can be activated with users inputting a PhotoBucket user name and password. After that, photos taken on select Verizon phones will automatically populate the PhotoBucket site.

Shapiro also said it was advantageous having PhotoBucket, which is owned by Fox Interactive Media, involved in the Verizon talks. "It is a lot easier to have one of Rupert Murdoch's companies on your side of the negotiating table," he said.

Founded in 2005, Ontela has raised about $15 million from Oak Venture Partners, Steamboat Ventures, Voyager Capital and others. It employs 35 people.