U.S.-based Nuance Communications is working with Chinese mapping company AutoNavi to bring more intuitive voice-enabled navigation capabilities to the Chinese market.

The two companies will collaborate on the voice-enabled navigation product AutoNavi Map that will be made available in the second quarter of 2013 to the world's automotive and navigation device manufacturers developing navigation offerings supporting Chinese languages.

As a result of its collaboration with Nuance, AutoNavi will be able to deeply integrate voice data to their core navigation data and further optimize the user experience for its map navigation products shipping in China, as well as meet the localization demands of global automotive manufacturers in the China market. AutoNavi will rely on Nuance's voice technologies to provide more accurate voice recognition and text-to-speech.

As China's leading digital map data provider for in-car navigation, AutoNavi has developed a comprehensive nationwide, high quality and dynamic digital map database. Currently, AutoNavi is providing navigation data products and services to more than 100 models of domestic and foreign auto brands and navigation application software to mainstream automotive manufacturers.

Financial terms of this collaboration have not been released.