E-Paper
Amazon offers virtual yellow pages
Amazon.com Inc launched a local Internet search service on Jan 26 that allows users to virtually walk streets and see photos of businesses, a move that could help it better compete with established search providers such as Google Inc.
Amazon.com Inc launched a local Internet search service on Wednesday that allows users to virtually walk streets and see photos of businesses, a move that could help it better compete with established search providers such as Google Inc.
The local "Yellow Pages" service from Amazon unit A9.com Inc marks the first major addition to the A9 search engine launched in September.
Other Internet search companies, such as Google, Yahoo Inc and Ask Jeeves Inc, have already rolled out local search services as a way to boost advertising revenues, traffic and market share.
A9's so-called block view allows users to see storefronts and virtually stroll the streets of 10 cities, including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the company has collected more than 20 million photographs.
It took a few days in each city to gather the images using trucks equipped with digital cameras, global positioning system receivers and proprietary software.
"You can virtually go to an area, see the business and walk around the block," A9.com chief executive Udi Manber said of the service in an interview. "You get a feel for the neighborhood."
Web search has moved to the forefront at companies like Yahoo, Amazon and Microsoft Corp's MSN unit in recent years after Google offered new ways to find information on the Web and popularized search-related advertising that drives revenues.
