Google means business with Maps and Streetview

Wed 19 August 2009 11:00, Editors

Googlers are busy letting Google Maps grow and grow. Within one day they not only gave more (European) countries access to Map Maker, they also put Switzerland and Portugal on Streetview and introduced the Street View Partner Program.

Google clearly believes in the future of Streetview and Maps. Google's Phippe Dauman says: "While we can't accept every property into the program, we are committed to providing Street View for as many interesting locations as possible, we even built new Street View vehicles, like the pedal-powered Trike, to easily and safely collect locations with pedestrians, delicate terrain, or narrow paths."

Map Maker
In Google Map Maker users from around the globe can add local knowledge to Google Maps. With that Google tries to be as accurate as possible.

Another benefit of getting users involved is the growth of communities. People are talking about their part of the world and updating Google's products.

The success triggered Google to open up Map Maker for Eastern European countries, something Martijn reported about earlier this week.

Streetview
Europe is slowly being covered by Streetview. Starting of in the UK Google is now biking and cruising through the rest of Europe. The newest additions are Portugal and Switzerland.

In Switzerland you can drive around the lake of Geneva while you can strawl though Portugal's capital Lisbon.

Lake of Geneva:

Größere Kartenansicht

Lisbon:

View Larger Map

Streetview partner program
Last but not least Google introduces the Streetview partner program. If you are the owner or authorized property manager of a university, tourist destination, outdoor shopping center, or any other interesting location you can sign up for consideration.

The partner program Google offers is free for now but might be an interesting feature to somehow monetize in the future.

Google promotes the partner program by naming some benefits:

Build your global audience and encourage visitors via the #1 mapping site in the world.
Add Street View of your location to your website using our API.
Show off your property to users who might otherwise not be able to visit you.
Best of all, it's free!

<Russian childrens search engine ...

Our Daily Search Pic(k): Google ...>

Comments (4)

- Mikkel deMib Svendsen
- [website]
I think its time someone makes a "Google View" site where we publish private photos of the Googlers life, private homes, kids, wifes etc and then see how THEY like it (no waite, we already know that - they hate it - its only the rest of the worlds privacy that should be published ...)

Wed 19 Aug 2009, 11:43
- Bas van den Beld
- [website]
:) Nobody knows where they live ;)

Wed 19 Aug 2009, 12:16
- Mikkel deMib Svendsen
- [website]
Bas, not entirely true .. Do you remember the journalists, that some time ago (think it was New York Times) used Googles own tools to see how much private information they could get on leading peole at Google - including the CEO?

I remember the result: Google CEO was VERY upset that they did it! Apparently, the informations Google provide is only supposed to invade "normal" peoples privacy - certainly not the CEO of Google.

Wed 19 Aug 2009, 12:22
- Roger the Shrubberer
Who is this fool Mikkel deMib Svendsen?

If you can get information on Google, it is not private information. As for the first comment, Jesus Christ man.

Fri 21 Aug 2009, 04:56

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