Earlier in the week it was reported that relationship between Ford and Microsoft has strained and that its possible for the former to shift its Sync in-car infotainment system from the underpinnings provided by Microsoft to BlackBerry’s QNX. Apparently Ford has been getting a lot of complaints about broken touchscreens and buggy software, which is prompting it to switch. That might not entirely be the case though, as Ford managing direction Pin van der Jagt reveals, even if Microsoft is out that don’t necessarily mean its going to be replaced by BlackBerry.
Obviously its going to be a huge contract from BlackBerry, which owns QNX. Millions of Ford vehicles on the road currently use Microsoft software for the first and second generation Sync system. The auto maker is currently working on the next generation Sync, and its “not married” to Microsoft, says Jagt. He classifies reports about BlackBerry coming in as rumors.
Jagt reveals that the company is currently in the phase of “spec’ing out our requirements for the next generation,” and pondering over what it wants to do, the features and functionality it wants to add. Ford will then go through a normal supply selection process, and will send out its updated requirements to all suppliers such as Microsoft and even Apple, and then those suppliers will come back with their offers. If BlackBerry is able to dazzle Ford with QNX, only then may it find its way in Ford vehicles.
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