Google Street View Takes A Look Inside Businesses (PHOTOS)

Google's new business street view has gone live, according to BBC. Whether people think Google's new business street view is creepy or cool, some businesses are showing off the inside of their properties on their Google Places business pages.

Google is currently only inviting small businesses like restaurants, hotels, shops, gyms and vehicle repair workshops and excluding big-brand chains for the time being. Private residences, hospitals and law offices are also excluded from participation.

Businesses participating in the Google business street view program allow their properties to be photographed with the Google Street View technology, which captures 360 degree panoramic shots. As with exterior street view photography, interior images will blur out bystander's faces.

On the Google Places Business FAQ Page, the issue of privacy is addressed as follows:

Business photos capture nothing different to what a customer would see by visiting the business in real life. We ask that you notify customers and employees of the photo shoot by putting up signs and making announcements about the scheduled photo shoot. We ask also that during the photo shoot you inform all persons in the area that a photo shoot is in progress and request that they move out of view. We’ll either run the 360-degree imagery through our state-of-the-art blurring technology to blur out faces of any employees and customers who appear in the imagery, or we won’t publish the still photos if people are in view.

Privacy issues aside, business owners could be excited about the prospect of more exposure. But some might be wondering if potential thieves could also use the new service to case their establishments. Burglars have caught on to using social networking to identify when potential victims aren't home, so it's going to be up to the business owners to make sure they aren't giving crooks any help with electronically checking out their property.

Locations in the United States where Google business street view is currently available are Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Austin, Washington, Boston, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.

The popular free roaming sandbox game GTA also offers a fully functional street view map of the fictional Liberty City -- alas, there are no street view businesses in-game as of yet.

As a consumer, will being able to see inside a business from Google street view help you decide on visiting that business? Or as a business owner, are you excited at the prospect of more exposure -- or could you care less?

Check out some of the example businesses here.

Comments

[Eyefly360]

07:21 AM on 11/08/2011

So who doesn't want one? Tell me such tours won't become commonplace in every high street. Who'd rather have a smaller shop window?
These Google tours are free for now but very plain. Pretty good value.
Ours can be plain too - or made as elaborate as you like. Higher resolution, music, commentary, linked scenes, on your website. http://www.virtualtours360.co.uk/. Really good value.

[spotter490]

12:33 PM on 11/07/2011

This service is already available to any business from specialist photographers. The images are then placed on their website. If Street view is anything to go by, the quality will be pretty poor for interiors.
I have to confess to being a Virtual Tour Photographer, and most business's require images with good definition, which the street view system doesn't provide. It will, however, raise the profile of my business sector.

[Ahmed Ben Abbad]

07:27 PM on 11/06/2011

Google could be the most non-gov entity in rendering help and support to businesses of all sorts. just think search and address functions, then came google video and acquisition of Utube then google biz apps, and now this, which will help ppl across the globe get inspiration on marketing and merchandise diversity from shopping temples in major cities.
Go googi! If only ur stock prices be affordable for us wealth dreamers

[Alvarez Bryce]

10:17 AM on 11/02/2011

The expression is: "I could *not* care less" NOT: "I could care less"

"...Or as a business owner, are you excited at the prospect of more exposure -- or could you care less?"

You can ONLY care less if you care *some*. (or a lot).
If you care a little, you can always care less, until you care so little that you don't care at all -and that is when you couldn't care less.

To say: "I could care less" means you care some, but while basically meaningless; implies that you care too much. Just as saying: "I could care more" implies that you don't care enough.

[hursh 4 ever]

02:36 PM on 11/05/2011

I agree with you on "I could NOT care less"

[Mister Grumpy]

02:08 PM on 11/01/2011

Now you can see where the filthy rich stuff their pie holes..........

[grizzly bear55]

02:50 AM on 11/02/2011

Why keep blaming the rich? most made their money the old fashion way, they earned it.

And a lot of them took major risk to make their fortunes.

Jealousy is a nasty thing.

[blurredmolly]

10:19 AM on 11/02/2011

"most made their money the old fashion way"

on the backs of their underpaid employees.

[Mister Grumpy]

02:05 PM on 11/01/2011

Sounds like a good idea........ it's worked pretty well for the hotel industry for quite a while now........ but still I hate it when I visit a hotel only to find out the place doesn't look like the picture shown in their advertisement.......

[Randy McKenzie]

05:59 AM on 11/01/2011

This is getting WAY too intrusive. I thought it was bad enough people could look at my house from anywhere in the world, Now they can look inside businesses too no matter what the intensions are. This is just too much exposure.

[AStranger]

07:07 AM on 11/01/2011

How so? The business has to invite them in to do it. They don't go to random stores and publish the pictures without permission.

[Ryan Schmidt]

05:18 AM on 11/01/2011

Google is taking over the world in many more ways than I think anybody ever thought..

[James F Barry]

04:05 AM on 11/01/2011

Hummmmmmmmmmmmm.............helpful if I was looking for a deli in France.....I gvuess??????

[Angilena Christopher]

01:29 AM on 11/01/2011

Some very Interesting Views I Like it Google you always bring some thing Great in my life thanks a lot........http://365socialmedia.co.uk/

[JuanVillalobos]

12:38 AM on 11/01/2011

It would be great if google allows other companies to integrate this feature to their apps like Yelp, foursquare or flixter for iphone/android/bb..etc.. but again, it "Would" be great.

[Rich Phitzwell]

12:15 PM on 11/01/2011

This feature may be new to google st view but its been on places for a long time and theres an app for android thats been around for at least a couple of years that does this as well. For the life of me I can remember the app but i plaid with it a couple of yrs ago

[mairs]

12:26 AM on 11/01/2011

Oh I hope they do it in my city at some point. I want to do it for my business!

[ckinsobe]

11:35 PM on 10/31/2011

Just sent in my application, I am in one of the qualifying cities!

[Freedom Rush]

10:55 PM on 10/31/2011

I was researching a restaurant for a special occasion. I could see the menu online in many cases, but I was more after ambience than the fare, and there were none or few photos of the interiors. This feature would have helped a lot.

Just when I think I'm over the Goog, they pull me back in.

[signgrrl]

12:12 PM on 11/01/2011

that's the idea . . . .

[Sarah Fischer]

10:24 PM on 10/31/2011

Thanks Google, for giving me a reason to never have to leave home, ever again.