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Google has unveiled its localised version of Google Maps, Street View , to the Australian market although there are no short term plans for ad-based monetisation.

Street View allows users to view, navigate and explore 360 degree street level imagery across Australia’s CBD regional and remote areas. The Google Maps upgrade was originally launched in the US in May 2007 and has yet to include an ad-based strategy.

Google Australia spokesman Rob Shilkin said that there were no plans to sell specific ads on Street View at this stage. “There is nothing additional for advertisers other than what is already structured on Google Maps,” he said.

Currently advertisers can buy local business ads on Google Maps and sponsored links on the side of Google Map searches, pricing of which is determined by auction.

Shilkin added that the aim of Street View was to “drive traffic to Google Maps and increase its popularity and usage while giving users what they want. Advertising option s then may appear down the track.”

Another feature of the service is that businesses can embed Street View panorama and navigation options on their website’s at no cost in a similar fashion to Google Maps.

Google hopes to garner the interest and participation of the real estate and travel and education sectors in using this functionality.

Google has also launched an enterprise edition of Street View for existing and new high traffic Google Map users such as realestate.com.au. While Google enterprise clients such as can incorporate the Street View API for free, high traffic websites such as Domain.com.au incur a licensing fee.

Google Australia product manager Andrew Foster, added "Google Maps has its origins as an Australian invention so we're thrilled to bring Street View here as one of the first countries in the world. A lot of remote and regional Australia is now available to explore virtually, Street View will allow people to visit places in Australia they may not have had they may not have had a chance to experience before."

Street View will be progressively launched globally with New Zealand slated for the second half of 2008

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