If you think about all the hype around "local," Street View is a massive and near-impossible to duplicate asset in that battle. With some good image recognition

If you think about all the hype around "local," Street View is a massive and near-impossible to duplicate asset in that battle. With some good image recognition of signs, people, etc. Google could map out specific business locations, exact address locations, which combined with real-time location information from mobile Maps users can make Google Maps basically undefeatable (and it has a solid business model). Google can afford to play the "long game."