Google, in cooperation with the Lao government begins broadcasting images of Laos through the Street View technology
Introduction: Popular search engine, Google, in cooperation with the Lao government has begun broadcasting images of Laos through the Street View technology. Official said the Internet had become a valuable source of information for many people around the world and this programme would prove to be convenient and useful for people visiting Laos.
Story: The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has cooperated with Google Asia Pacific Pte, Ltd of Google Inc to officially announce Street View for Laos recently.
Director General of the ministry’s Cooperation and Planning Department, Phoukhong Chitlooklok said the internet had become a valuable source of information for many people around the world and this programme would prove to be convenient and useful for people visiting Laos and We are excited about the use of Google Maps and Street View in Laos because it will allow many people to discover our country and efficiently plan their journey when travelling around Laos. According to him, Google Street will also allow people to explore the country online and effectively give us an opportunity to showcase the beautiful Laos and its rich culture on a global platform.
At the launch of the Street View project in Laos, Google Next Wave Emerging Markets Product Manager, Divon Lan said that they paid attention to the country and people’s privacy and if there were forbidden areas then they would get government permission before proceeding. He the photos censor every individuals’ face and vehicle license plates, with some people also requesting not to show their residence on the map. We will abide by the individuals’ wishes however they need to contact us to let us know.”
This programme captures photos of Lao images such as different locations, tourism destinations, culture, lifestyle, as well as businesses to promote them on Google Maps. Google Maps is a popular website that many millions of people around the world use to navigate their way around and find images of locations of interest.
The Google Street View team brought a vehicle with an installed camera which can take 360 degree photos at a high resolution when driving past. The Street View technology is a feature on Google Maps and Google Earth, with the programme providing panoramic views of many streets in different cities and countries around the world.
The Street View images appear when an individual zooms in on the map or satellite image, as well as dragging the ‘pegman’ icon onto a location on the map.
Laos is the seventh Southeast Asian country to start using Street View, with Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore already using the modern technology.
Google Street View is set to begin shortly after it was launched, with Vientiane being the first to be photographed before moving to other provinces. The programme was launched on May 25, 2007, initially featuring various cities in the US. It has gradually expanded to include many cities and rural areas worldwide.
It it said that, It would take around two to three months to photograph Vientiane, before sending the images to Google to check and edit. Once this was complete the images would then be uploaded onto Google Maps.
A representative from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, all uploaded onto Google Maps. He urged the public to cooperate in keeping the streets clean so that beautiful pictures of Laos could be taken.
Source: Lao National Television News in English
Broadcast on July 28, 2014
