Oxford, UK-based meta site Zoombu is almost ready to reveal all to the wider world with the launch of an overhauled micro-version of the main site for skiiers.
Under wraps for over a year - during which time it has still managed to win plenty of plaudits and a round of funding - Zoombu will unveil a slimmed down version of the main site next week to target the late-ski market in Europe.
The main Zoombu site, which features the same design treatments as those applied to the ski edition, is scheduled to be unveiled at a later date, although data and feedback from those using the ski site effectively as a testbed will be incorporated into the wider development work.
The ski site allows users to look for travel options between the UK and the French Alps using different modes of transport and using point-to-point search, rather than departure and destination airports.
Results are filtered using quickest, cheapest and greenest options.
Google Maps are also included to show where on the user's journey their modes of transport will change.
Co-founder Rachel Armitage says:
"It’s a very small part of our overall coverage, but we have decided to open this up so that users can easily try it out and provide valuable feedback on the functionality, which will be reflected in the main product."
Another UK-based web startup, Snowcarbon, launched in October 2009 to provide information and deals for skiiers heading to the Alps by rail.