BlackBerry and AWS team up to make smart vehicles even smarter

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At CES 2020, BlackBerry has announced that it has teamed up with AWS to demonstrate a safe, secure and intelligent connected vehicle software platform for in-vehicle applications.

The platform combines the security of BlackBerry's QNX real-time operating system with AWS' IoT services in the cloud and in the car.

The AWS-powered BlackBerry platform will enable automotive manufacturers to securely access data from vehicle sensors and create software applications as well as machine learning models for connected, electric and autonomous vehicles.

Automotive OEMs can leverage the platform to expedite their vision of continuously and quickly bringing innovative connected vehicle services to market. These include cockpit personalization, vehicle acoustic conditioning, vehicle health monitoring and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) features. 

The platform can also be used by car companies to enable essential functions such as continuous EV battery life monitoring and prediction, managing vehicle sub-systems to control warranty costs, providing security updates, updating software features and monetizing vehicle data while exercising control over data access.

BlackBerry and AWS

The new platform combines BlackBerry and AWS' edge and cloud technologies into a comprehensive edge-to-cloud offering for the global automotive industry.

By using BlackBerry's QNX software, automotive OEMs can develop and run a common software platform across in-vehicle systems while AWS capabilities enable automotive software developers to securely and easily access data from vehicle sensors, build software applications and machine learning models using vehicle data and deploy them inside the vehicle to enable in-vehicle inference and actions.

Additionally, the platform will integrate the BlackBerry QNX operating system and over-the-air software update services with AWS IoT cloud services for secure connectivity and telematics, Amazon SageMaker for developing machine learning models and AWS IoT edge services for in-vehicle machine learning inference.

Senior vice president and co-head of BlackBerry technology solutions, John Wall explained why the company decided to partner with AWS for its new platform, saying:

“By working with AWS, we can provide OEMs with a unique foundational software platform that will allow them to build the next generation connected and autonomous cars of the future. By combining our technologies and strengths into one dedicated cloud-based offering, we can ensure automakers have the tools they need to deliver the driving experience consumers want, without sacrificing on the security and reliability they need.”

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Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.