If a proposed standard to move images across the Internet moves ahead by the end of next year, you may be able to send prints of your digital photos to friends and relatives while you're still on business trips or vacation.

The new standard would let people send prints or images by using a system similar to an automatic teller machine network. Customers would have accounts that are accessible worldwide from any point connected to the Common Picture Exchange Environment. They could upload or download images; share them on a Web site; and order, ship, or print pictures for pickup later at a photo store anywhere in the world. The CPXe Initiative is working with standards groups such as the International Imaging Industry Association to settle technical standards and intellectual-property-rights issues to build the system.

The key is CPXe's generic nature, says Steve Sunderland, acting chairman of the CPXe Initiative. "Most retailers only allow prints from their own outlets," he says. "If you're traveling, sometimes you're not near an outlet where you have an account." The group wants to define the protocol that can be supported by any digital photo lab--from those at drugstores to one-hour photo marts in malls. The common interface would let customers tap into a central registry to upload their images or place orders. "It's an ambitious task, because the major players have their own photo sites and own print mechanisms," Sunderland says. "There's no standard networking protocol but a lot of proprietary software."

The final format is far from settled. "It may be a cousin to UDDI," says Sunderland, referring to the Universal Description Discovery and Integration specification for Web-based information registries. "It will be built on top of existing standards where possible. The benefits are huge to the industry."

Many of the major image players are interested in participating, he says, and other companies are welcome to help create an open industry standard. The CPXe Initiative hopes to have a protocol ready for use by the end of next year.