Nuance and AutoNavi Announce Collaboration to Lead New Era of Voice-Enabled Navigation Services in China

Nuance Communications

announced its strategic collaboration with AutoNavi

, a leading provider of digital map content and navigation and location-based solutions in China, to bring more intuitive voice-enabled navigation capabilities to the Chinese market. Specifically, 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. Along with the scalability of its digital map data and location-based service, AutoNavi has also developed two core mobile map apps, Amap and aNav, which have both maintained a number-one market position in China Mobile map and navigation market. At the beginning of 2013, AutoNavi announced that its free mobile map application—Amap has surpassed 100 million users, further demonstrating its distinct advantage and leadership position. “With the rapidly expanding automotive market in China, navigation innovation is incredibly important – it must be up to date and accurate, as well as intuitive to use behind the wheel,” said Yongqi Yang, AutoNavi Executive Vice President of Automotive Business. “Nuance's automotive voice expertise and technologies deeply integrated as part of our core navigation and map data will enable us to quickly innovate voice-enabled navigation services that automotive manufacturers and navigation device providers can then bring to market as part of a safer, smarter in-car experience in China.” “The world's automotive and navigation device manufacturers need access to dynamic map data – particularly in countries such as China where infrastructure and the number of cars on the road continues to expand,” said Daniel Cheng, General Manager of Greater China Region, Nuance Communications. “Through our collaboration with AutoNavi, manufacturers will be able to offer an incredibly intuitive voice-enabled navigation experience that keeps Chinese drivers' eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.” About AutoNavi AutoNavi Holdings Limited is a leading provider of digital map content and navigation and location-based solutions in China. At the core of its business is a comprehensive nationwide digital map database that covers approximately 3.6 million kilometers of roadway and over 20 million points of interest across China. Through its digital map database and proprietary technology platform, AutoNavi provides comprehensive, integrated navigation and location-based solutions optimized for the Chinese market and users, including automotive navigation solutions, mobile location-based solutions and Internet location-based solutions, and public sector and enterprise applications. For more information on AutoNavi, please visit http://www.autonavi.com. About Nuance Communications, Inc. Nuance Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of voice and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with devices and systems. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance's proven applications. For more information, please visit www.nuance.com.