From the air, to the ground and now to the inside of our businesses, Google is inching ever closer to its dream of giving people a chance to view each and every part of the world. Google Maps, the free online mapping engine, is now giving small businesses the capability to let users view the inside of their establishments.
The panoramic images were tested last year April as volunteers within each business, be it a fast-food chain, a gym or a restaurant took images and stitched them together for the Google Street View experiment. As with Street View, Google will blur the faces of all bystanders in order to avoid privacy concerns.
No ad to show here.
Deanna Yick, a Google spokesperson, said, “We’ve been seeing renewed interest in the past few days because, as promised, we’re getting more imagery online. The 360-degree views are really visually engaging, so we’re glad users are excited”.
Google maps product manager, Gadi Rozy highlights the visual splendour of the new Google Maps Feature: “With this immersive imagery, potential customers can easily imagine themselves at the business and decide if they want to visit in person”.
Privacy concerns can, essentially, be swept away, as any participation in the new Google Maps view is strictly voluntary. Google even includes a set of guidelines for businesses which want to become part of the project.
Business owners are told they must warn their customers and employees about the photo shoot before it begins. Google has promised it will blur out or refuse to publish any images which include bystanders.
The photo shoots will produce 360-degree images using fish-eye and wide-angle lenses as well as stills. Business owners are also invited to upload their own pictures.
Google Street View has not been globally accepted and was recently abandoned in Germany due to “violations of privacy rights”.
Google has included a list of featured locations which highlight the new initiative. Peeking inside business begins now and inside views of selected stores can be found from Street View or on the information pages within Google Maps.
