Microsoft Corp. today announced beta availability of MSN® Virtual Earth™, a new Web service that further builds on the company’s investment in the search category by harnessing the company’s extensive search and mapping capabilities to give people an immersive way to utilize location-based information online. The service enables users to search, discover, explore, plan and share information and activities relevant to specific U.S. locations by combining aerial imagery, detailed maps and precise local search capabilities. Users can access the beta version of the service at http://virtualearth.msn.com/.

“When you’re in an unfamiliar city and need to find a nearby Chinese restaurant or ATM within walking distance of your hotel, a traditional Internet search experience won’t give you the visual location-specific information you need,” said Stephen Lawler, general manager of the MapPoint® business unit and MSN Virtual Earth at Microsoft. “MSN Virtual Earth provides a deeply immersive search experience that lets people see what it’s like to be in a location and easily explore what they can do there.”

The new Microsoft® Location Finder is a separate client-side application based on technology developed by Microsoft Research. It operates seamlessly with MSN Virtual Earth and turns a regular Wi-Fi-enabled laptop, tablet or PC into a location-determining device without the addition of any separate hardware. When the Locate Me link in MSN Virtual Earth is clicked, Microsoft Location Finder is activated and uses Wi-Fi access points to determine the user’s location. Next, the user’s present location is centered on the map, enabling him or her to quickly and easily search that area. Microsoft Location Finder can be downloaded free when a user initially clicks on the Locate Me link, or at http://virtualearth.msn.com/?autolocate=true.

Microsoft is also providing free access to the MSN Virtual Earth map control, in the form of an easy-to-use JavaScript control, for technology developers and others who want to incorporate noncommercial uses of MSN Virtual Earth into their own applications and Web sites.