BlackBerry And Ford Will Work On Connected Cars

BlackBerry is in the process of pivoting from being a major hardware company to a major software company. We’ve already seen the company stop manufacturing of its own smartphones and outsource those duties to third-party manufacturers. It has also been working hard to expand its software offerings to bring in more revenue. The company has now inked an agreement with Ford Motor Company, the companies will work together on connected cars of the future.

Under this deal, Ford is going to expand its use of BlackBerry’s QNX and security software that powers BlackBerry’s goal of bringing mobility and connected vehicles to the masses.

“Ford is an industry leader and the opportunity to contribute our world-class technology to their products is a privilege. Ford’s expanded application of our software and services illustrates the diverse and broad value we can bring to market,” said John Chen, CEO and executive chairman at BlackBerry.

Ford has previously worked with BlackBerry-owned QNX. The company’s SYNC 3 system is based on the BlackBerry ONX operating system. Ford’s Chief Technical Officer Raj Nair has said that Ford will expand its use of BlackBerry’s technology to ensure that it delivers highly secure and top-quality experience expected by its customers.

No terms of this deal have been revealed as it’s a confidential arrangement between Ford and BlackBerry. The latter’s QNX software powers more than 60 million cars across the globe. Apple is actually believed to be poaching talent from QNX so that it can fill up its officer in Canada where the OS for its self-driving car system is reportedly being built.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Transportation
Tags: BlackBerry, ford