BlackBerry QNX is focusing on security with its newest operating system (OS) for connected and autonomous vehicles.
At CES 2017 in Las Vegas this week, BlackBerry QNX launched its latest OS for the automotive industry – QMX Software Development Platform 7.0 (QNX SDP 7.0), a 64-bit OS that uses QNX technology such as Neutrino Realtime OS and Momentics Tool Suite to protect against system malfunctions, malware, and cyber attacks.
“With the push toward connected and autonomous vehicles, the electronic architecture of cars is evolving – from a multitude of smaller processors each executing a dedicated function, to a set of high performance domain controllers, powered by 64-bit processors and graphical processing units,” BlackBerry QNX head and senior vice president, John Wall, said in a statement.
QNX SDP 7.0 relies on features including microkernel architecture, file encryption, adaptive time partitioning, high availability framework, anomaly detection, and multi-level policy-based access control to provide enhanced security. The OS also meets the highest possible certification available for automobiles – ISO 26262 ASIL D.
“To develop these new systems, our automotive customers will need a safe and secure 64-bit OS that can run highly complex software, including neural networks and artificial intelligence algorithms,” Wall said. “QNX SDP 7.0 is suited not only for cars, but also for almost any  safety- or mission-critical application that requires 64-bit performance and advanced security. This includes surgical robots, industrial controllers and high-speed trains.”
To show off the new OS, BlackBerry QNX is displaying three technology concept cars at CES: a Jaguar XJ with a new digital cockpit design that combines infotainment and instrument cluster functionality; a Lincoln MKZ that is showing off the QNX SDP 7.0 OS; and a 2017 Aston Martin Vanquish that ships with BlackBerry QNX’s latest in-vehicle infotainment software technology.
This news comes just a few weeks after BlackBerry QNX unveiled its new Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Centre in Ottawa, and a couple of months after the company announced its partnership with Ford to create in-vehicle software.
