Street View will get competition in Germany. Microsoft have announced that it’s service Streetside will be available some time this summer in Germany. Bing Maps Streetside is currently only available in the US.
German newspaper Spiegel:
Seeking to prevent the kind of kerfuffle that led to long delays of the introduction of Google’s Street View service, Microsoft officials met in advance with industry associations, political representatives and privacy advocates. The company said it would launch a website next Friday that would provide detailed information about the routes its camera cars would be taking as they photograph the cities. The site will also include information for homeowners, renters and business owners. Microsoft executive Olivier Blanchard said all residents would have to do is provide their name and address through the website in order for their homes to be blurred out.
I’m guessing less people in Germany will deside to blur out their homes than with Google Maps Street View. Street View is still controversial in Germany, but there was some backlash to all the blurred images when Street View was released in november 2010. And Streetside is less known and hence less of a threat. So there will likely be less blur on Streetside than on Street View.
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