Blackberry is Back in a Big Way for CES 2018

Photo from wired.com

This year, Blackberry is back at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and they’re showcasing their slick, cutting-edge software for driverless vehicles.

QNX promises all the high-end security measures the company is known for with  the functionality and experiences desired by the modern consumer.  Blackberry is showcasing three high-end vehicles at CES: the 2017 Range Rover Super Charged, the 2018 Astin Martin DB11 and the Audi Q5.  All three will be outfitted with the latest in Blackberry’s auto technology.

Up Until Now

Blackberry has really shifted gears (pun intended) to put themselves on the forefront of modern technology.  In October, the first driverless car in Canada hit the streets of suburban Ottawa with Blackberry’s QNX software (thestar.com). While many vehicles are using Blackberry’s software already, they also just signed a deal with Chinese company Baidu.  This deal means the two companies will come together to create autonomous vehicle technology.  From this, Blackberry will gain traction in the Chinese market.  Moreover, this deal caused Blackberry’s stock to climb 13% post-announcement (forbes.com). Now heading into CES 2018, there’s no sign of this powerhouse slowing down.

Sleek, Sound & Safe

Both the Range Rover Super Charged and the Astin Martin DB11 that are at CES will showcase the latest in QNX software integration and will feature excellent security, acoustics, integration and personalization.

The Sleek

Getting into the first two cars is an incredibly personalized experience.  The Blackberry IoT Personalization Platform allows users to control with an app, the temperature and music volume they wish for when they get into the vehicle.  Users have free reign of Android Apps with the vehicles and  for those so inclined, a race track telemetry application.  As part of the sleek design, Blackberry will be debuting a sharp new digital cockpit housing the infotainment platform.

The Sound

A huge part of Blackberry’s QNX software is surprisingly enough, the auto acoustics.  With the QNX Acoustics management Platform 2.0, Blackberry promises the latest in audio processing technologies which make it easier to hear those in the car.  It also minimizes distracting sounds like the wind outside the car according to Blackberry.

The Safety

Of course, none of this technology would come together smoothly without Blackberry’s widely coveted security measures that prevent hacking in a number of ways.  Many vehicles are already using the Blackberry software.   Both the Range Rover and Astin Martin will show the latest and greatest in safety for drivers.  Blackberry’s multi-level security system (which is better summarized by them)protects drivers in a variety of ways from the locks themselves to the hypervisor and beyond.  Now, users will be able to use those slick Android apps without interference to the digital cockpit if something crashes.

The Big Show

Finally, the highly anticipated part of Blackberry’s booth at CES 2018 is their driverless car.  This car is an Audi Q5 with Delphi Aptiv technology.  Delphi plans to launch the technology in 2019 with of course…Blackberry’s QNX.  While they haven’t revealed much more than that for now- stay tuned for more.

 

If you’d like to read more about Blackberry QNX and the work the company is doing with driverless vehicles you can visit their blog.

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About the author

Gabrielle Bossy

Gabrielle Bossy is a lover of music, writing and any party that has a great charcuterie board. With a specific interest in the 1960s and Canada's developing music scene, she explores topics of protest in music, Yorkville's hippie scene and more. Gabrielle also interviews current musicians, reviews concerts and reveals various music histories on her blog, The Hippie Historian.

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