PlanetEye is a new website focused on delivering travelers with the right set of online planning tools designed to enable the searching, exploring and sharing of a plethora of destinations worldwide. Launched into Beta on July 9, 2008, PlanetEye makes use of Microsoft technology in order to permit users to plan their travels around the globe in the minutest details. Powering the website is the Redmond company's World Wide Media eXchange (WWMX) technology which integrates on top of Microsoft Virtual Earth.

"PlanetEye pulls together advanced social networking elements, contextual mapping and professional travel information to create the most advanced travel planning tool I have ever seen," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group.

In addition to having its technology licensed for the travel-planning service, members of Microsoft's Research Division and Development teams worked with PlanetEye in order to produce the website. Users can access directly already-made guides of major cities around the world, but also search for a specific destination.

"Microsoft is committed to supporting technology startups in an effort to drive the software ecosystem and support innovation and prosperity. We are very excited about this collaboration and the way PlanetEye adopted the technology developed at Microsoft Research and applied it to the online travel experience," added Bob Tenczar, director of marketing for the Intellectual Property Licensing Division at Microsoft.

What really makes PlanetEye stand out among similar online travel planning tools is the combination between Microsoft Virtual Earth and World Wide Media eXchange. Via the two technologies, users have available a dynamic map with interactive capabilities, which offers not only Road, Aerial and Hybrid data, but also information related to a location's attractions, restaurants, hotels and even photographs, all geotagged.

"PlanetEye wants to inspire travelers to explore and discover the world online, and then make it easy for them to plan and book the best trip possible. We want travel planning to be easy and exciting, while minimizing the number of Web sites needed to complete travel plans," explained Butch Langlois, PlanetEye's president and chief executive officer."