Via [TechCrunch|http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/20/google-places/]

<<While Geo startups like Foursquare, Gowalla, and even Twitter (and soon, Facebook?) are taking a social approach to local business listings, coupons, and offers, Google is approaching from the search side... For $25 a month, local businesses can buy “tags” which will turn up their listings in local searches, including on Google maps. They can print out custom QR codes (2D barcodes) which are readable by cell phones with cameras and QR readers and will pop up a mobile version of their Google Place page or a mobile coupon.

Businesses can also add realtime updates to their Places page, define the areas they serve, and even schedule a photo shoot for better pictures for their page.>>

I think this could be an interesting addition to Maps in the future and that whole idea of a single website aggregating information about a place or business Google has been talking about lately

Official post:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/introducing-google-places.html

I find this interesting, but at the same time I hate it because Google is stepping over little web business like ants..