QNX Platform for Digital Cockpits to Automakers
Support for providing an in-car experience tailored to driver needs
ECU is accessible to Android apps

At CES 2019, a hot topic with autonomous driving and emotional driving, BlackBerry announced that it will provide a digital cockpit solution to automakers.
The QNX Platform for Digital Cockpits provides automakers with QNX-based digital instrument clusters and infotainment systems that can access Android-based applications such as Google Maps and Google Play Music from a single ECU.

BlackBerry's ISO-26262 safety-certified hypervisor isolates the multiple operating system environments powering the instrument cluster, infotainment, and other driver information systems, preventing them from interfering with one another. This isolation is crucial for protecting critical driving functions from being impacted by app crashes, corruption, or updates.

The QNX platform embodies the company's go-to-market strategy of developing and selling vertical solutions that are composed of various products that complement each other. The QNX Platform integrates the safety-certified QNX Hypervisor, the QNX Platform for Instrument Clusters, the QNX Automotive Platform for Infotainment, and a secure Android implementation. This digital cockpit solution enables automakers to accelerate development and reduce the risk and cost of transitioning projects from research to production.

“As automotive ECUs become more integrated, manufacturers are looking for solutions that are safe, reliable, and flexible enough to deliver a unique driving experience,” said John Wall, senior vice president and co-head of BlackBerry Technology Solutions. “After two years of continuous refinement and testing, BlackBerry has developed the world’s first safety-certified digital cockpit that enables the safe use of Android apps in the car.”

“As consumers begin to consider security and data privacy when purchasing a car, we expect robust security to become a key differentiating strategy for automakers,” he continued.

Built on a partnership with Tata Elxsi, BlackBerry's QNX Platform for Digital Cockpits is delivered in a customizable solution format, supports Android, and guarantees Android updates and corresponding solution formats for the lifetime of the vehicle. Tata Elxsi's Value Added Integrator (VAI) partnership with BlackBerry in 2017 enabled both companies to design and develop secure, mission-critical solutions leveraging BlackBerry QNX technology.

“We have been leveraging the Android ecosystem for mobile, smart TVs and automotive for over a decade with our Android Center of Excellence (ACE),” said Nitin Pai, senior vice president, marketing and strategy, Tata Elxsi. “Our partnership with BlackBerry is a collaboration between global companies that will deliver a future-proof and secure digital cockpit platform, ensuring the quality and long-term support that automakers demand from platform and solution providers,” he said.

BlackBerry provides OEMs worldwide with cutting-edge technologies that protect hardware, software, applications, and end-to-end systems from cyberattacks. BlackBerry's QNX technology is currently deployed in over 120 million vehicles, and the company collaborates on automotive design with Baidu, Delphi, Denso, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Visteon, Jaguar Land Rover, and BYTON.

BlackBerry's new products, including the QXN platform for digital cockpits, are being demonstrated in the 2019 Karma Revero concept car at the BlackBerry booth. The digital cockpit platform is also being demonstrated at the Tata Elxsi booth.