Google today announced the official launch of Google Local. The service now is now out of beta (US and Canada only) and combines the power and technology of the old Google Local service and Google Maps into one service. Just visit http://local.google.com.

Google Local offers users access to relevant information such as integrated local search results and detailed driving directions, and includes features such as draggable maps, satellite imagery, keyboard shortcuts, and more. With mapping data combined with relevant local information from Google’s web index and business listings such as Yellow Page directories, Google Local is a comprehensive local search and mapping product.

Personally, I would have thought “Google Maps” would have been the better name to use.