• by February 9, 2005

Google added to its arsenal of search services yesterday with a map service that's designed to help consumers get driving directions and search for a variety of businesses.

The map service, released in test, uses data from digital mapping providers TeleAtlas and Navteq. Yahoo! and Microsoft already offer map-based directions.

Google Maps lets users search by keyword, address, city name, or ZIP code. A request for driving directions asks for a user's beginning and end points, similar to the MapQuest service. Users can get detailed views by zooming in on a route. Google Maps also lets users click and drag a mouse across a map to view nearby areas.

Google recently rolled out a video search service that enables users to look for video content. That service now has 1.1 billion searchable images, according to the company.