got its start in 2002, offering users a way to keep their contacts up-to-date and synced across a broad range of platforms. Over the years, the company made a push into social networking, most notably with its Plaxo Pulse service. But recently, Plaxo began to scale back its social networking ambitions, and on Wednesday, it formally announced plans to refocus its efforts on the address book front.

“We want to be the best online address book,” Plaxo CEO Justin Miller told .

The company’s , also unveiled Wednesday, is part of that effort. The Web-based service looks to automate the process of updating the contact information you’ve stored with Plaxo, making sure your address book remains up-to-date.

Personal Assistant compares the contacts in your Plaxo address book with contact information from other public sources. (It’s able to do this without sharing any private information, Miller stresses.) If Personal Assistant finds any contact information discrepancies, it gives you the option of updating the data in your address book.

Plaxo currently teams up with for the contact info that Plaxo Personal Assistant searches. Miller says his company is in talks with other data providers as well.