BlackBerry, once synonymous with the business smartphone, is now a major automotive technology player through its QNX platform, and has now revealed a tie-up with Microsoft to revolutionize the development of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs).
The company announced its Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) division is collaborating with Microsoft in a bid to streamline the development process for automakers.
The partnership will integrate BlackBerry's software tools into the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, with the QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0 giving developers an environment for building, testing, and refining automotive software.
QNX Software on Microsoft Azure
Here, the cloud’s scalability should accelerate a typically extended development cycle. Early testing and the virtual validation of software can resolve issues much sooner, improving the time-to-market for software-defined vehicles.
The partnership will later extend to the QNX Hypervisor virtual machine software and QNX Cabin reference architecture, as BlackBerry looks to develop next-generation, hardware agnostic, and cloud-based automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
“Together with Microsoft, we are looking at innovative ways to bring Microsoft Azure AI in to support cutting-edge technology early in the development cycle," said John Wall, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Product, Engineering and Services at QNX.
“This approach accelerates development timelines and minimizes risks, allowing automakers to leverage the scale and development velocity inherent to the cloud. Together, we're paving the way for the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicles," he added.
Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing & Mobility at Microsoft said the collaboration, "bolsters our commitment to empower the automotive industry with cutting-edge technology to accelerate innovation. By combining the strengths of Microsoft Azure and QNX, we’re enabling OEMs to deliver on the promise of the Software-Defined Vehicle.”