Canadian software giant BlackBerry has signed a deal with the Ford Motor Company to work directly with the Detroit firm as the latter moves toward more technologically advanced cars. The agreement with the Blue Oval is the first of its kind for BlackBerry, as the Waterloo company moves to capitalise on its software products and services, and distance itself from its floundering hardware arm.
At present, BlackBerry’s QNX software powers the Sync 3 infotainment system found in the latest Fords, with the hardware supplied by Panasonic Automotive. BlackBerry hopes that the new deal will see the two companies identify other areas where QNX can be utilised, as well as further increase the use of QNX in the current ecosystem.
“We can form the basis of an entire vehicle all the way from autonomous drive, though to infotainment. But in the initial engagement, you can think of an expansion into the cockpit; telematics, infotainment, [instrument] cluster,” said the head of the QNX arm of BlackBerry, John Wall during a phone interview with Reuters.
Already certified for autonomous driving and safety systems, the QNX platform certainly seems like a great place to start for Ford, which is currently developing a fully-autonomous vehicle for launch in 2021, aimed to focus on the commercial ride-sharing industry. At press time, neither BlackBerry nor Ford wished to comment on the financial aspect of the deal, or go into further detail on how QNX will be rolled out into new systems moving forward.
“We’re providing the plumbing for the vehicle that is robust, safe, and secure, to allow the customers to build their applications on top of that,” Wall concluded. QNX was once an independent company, but was purchased by BlackBerry in 2010 as part of its plans to expand its software business further.
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