BlackBerry Limited announced on Tuesday about an expansion of its strategic partnership with Baidu. This company provides high-definition maps, which will soon run on the QNX® Neutrino® Real-time Operating System, also known as RTOS. The partners plan to mass-produce them in the GAC New Energy Aion models, stating from the EV arm of GAC Group.
The new negotiations are an extension of the company’s January 2018 agreement. According to it, BlackBerry’s leading ISO 26262 ASIL D certified operating system should become the foundation for autonomous driving open platform “Apollo” from Baidu.
Baidu has an Automotive SPICE® certification from TÜV Rheinland, and it is one of the few high-definition map vendors. Automotive SPICE® addresses strict requirements for the software development process for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers.
However, the company’s high-definition maps provide a critical component for major automakers, especially when they looking to launch the next generation of autonomous and connected vehicles in China.
What’s the QNX Neutrino RTOS foundation and how it operates?
The QNX Neutrino RTOS foundation is important for Baidu’s high-definition maps. It is a real-time microkernel operating system, providing deterministic performance. Furthermore, it has flexibility enabling to address embedded system’s limited resources.
Dhiraj Handa, Channel, VP, Partners and APAC, BlackBerry Technology Solutions, stated that Baidu had made significant progress with BlackBerry QNX’s embedded software as its foundation. Part of the company’s Apollo platform in establishing a commercial ecosystem for innovative technologies. On the other hand, OEMs can leverage those technologies for their next-generation vehicles.
Handa added that they are looking forward to working closely with Baidu to help develop and deploy leading-edge autonomous driving in the coming months. They will also work on connected vehicle technologies to meet the automotive industry’s increasing security and mission-critical requirements.
Wang Yunpeng, the Senior Director of Technology Department of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, also spoke about continuing partnership. According to Yunpeng, they want to provide car manufacturers with a clear path to autonomous vehicles’ production. Safety and security are the partners’ top priority.
The BlackBerry QNX software performs well in functional safety, reliability and network security. Furthermore, Baidu boasts long-term development in artificial intelligence, as well as deep learning. Together, they hope to help vehicle manufacturers quickly produce safe autonomous cars. The companies also aim to promote the development of the intelligent networked automobile industry.
BlackBerry QNX is one of the leaders in safe, secure, and reliable software for critical embedded systems. It offers its clients OEMs and Tier 1s with state-of-the-art foundational software, as well as cybersecurity technologies.
