Ford to work with BlackBerry on using QNX

Marks BlackBerry's first direct deal with any automaker.

Ford has signed a deal to work directly with BlackBerry, enabling it to expand its use of the BlackBerry QNX secure operating system (OS), according to a Reuters report. The accord is BlackBerry's first direct deal with any automaker, the report notes. Panasonic uses QNX software in Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system. In an interview with Reuters, the head of BlackBerry's QNX system, John Wall, is quoted as saying, "We can form the basis of the entire vehicle all the way from autonomous drive through to infotainment… In the initial engagements you can think of an expansion into the cockpit; telematics, infotainment, cluster." Wall has said QNX software is certified for use in autonomous driving and active safety systems.