BlackBerry Expands Partnership with Baidu to Power Next Generation Autonomous Driving Technology

BlackBerry Limited  today announced an expansion of its strategic partnership with Baidu, whose high-definition maps will run on the QNX Neutrino Real-time Operating System (RTOS) and will be mass-produced in the forthcoming GAC New Energy Aion models from the EV arm of GAC Group (Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd.).

The milestones build on the company’s January 2018 agreement to make BlackBerry QNX’s industry-leading ISO 26262 ASIL D certified operating system (OS) the foundation for Baidu’s ‘Apollo’ autonomous driving open platform.

Baidu is one of the few high-definition map vendors with an Automotive SPICE certification from TÜV Rheinland – an industry certification that addresses rigid requirements for the software development process for Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers. With world-leading levels of data granularity, Baidu’s high-definition maps provide a critical component for global automakers looking to launch next generation connected and autonomous vehicles in China.

The QNX Neutrino RTOS foundation for Baidu’s high-definition maps is a robust real-time microkernel operating system that provides deterministic performance as well as flexibility to address the limited resources of the embedded system.

Dhiraj Handa, VP, Channel, Partners and APAC, BlackBerry Technology Solutions said.“With BlackBerry QNX’s embedded software as its foundation, Baidu has made significant progress as part of its Apollo platform in establishing a commercial ecosystem for innovative technologies that OEMs can leverage for their next generation vehicles.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Baidu to help develop and deploy leading edge autonomous driving and connected vehicle technologies to meet the ever increasing mission-critical and security requirements of the automotive industry.”

Wang Yunpeng, Senior Director of Technology Department of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group said, “We aim to provide car manufacturers with a clear and fast path to the production of autonomous vehicles, with safety and security as the top priority.

“The BlackBerry QNX software performs well in functional safety, network security and reliability, while Baidu has achieved long-term development in artificial intelligence and deep learning. Together, we can help car manufacturers quickly produce safe autonomous vehicles and promote the development collaboratively of the intelligent networked automobile industry.”

As the leader in safe, secure, and reliable software for critical embedded systems, BlackBerry QNX provides OEMs and Tier 1s around the world with state-of-the-art foundational software and cybersecurity technologies. BlackBerry QNX technology is used in more than 175 million vehicles on the road in their advanced driver assistance (ADAS), digital instrument clusters, connectivity modules, hands-free, and infotainment systems.