Jaguar Land Rover reveals electric car software tie-up with Blackberry
Blackberry is to provide the software for Jaguar Land Rover's next-generation electric vehicles, it was announced this morning.
BlackBerry will provide its infotainment and security software to JLR, which is owned by India conglomerate Tata.
The Canadian firm has agreed similar agreements with Qualcomm, Baidu and Aptiv. With a legacy as a hardware maker, Blackberry is shifting its focus to software development.
JLR, Britain's biggest carmaker, pledged last year that all of its new cars would be available in either electric or hybrid versions by 2020.
The "Collaborative Supply Agreement" between will see Blackberry's QNX and Certicom technology made available to JLR. A team of engineers will also be assigned to the development of new electronic control unit modules.
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“Working with Blackberry will enable us to develop the safe and secure next-generation connected car our customers want,” said Dave Nesbitt, JLR's vehicle engineering director.
Together with Blackberry engineers, we will be able to access the most dynamic and up-to-date software to ensure the highest security required for our connected vehicles.
SVP and GM of BlackBerry John Wall called the deal "a pivotal moment"
"Automakers, such as Jaguar Land Rover, are realising they need to take an active role in defining the software architecture for their vehicles,”
“Connected and autonomous vehicles will react and drive based on rich data. Our platforms help process data efficiently and keep it secure and trusted. We are incredibly honoured to work with Jaguar Land Rover and look forward to our teams working hand in hand to deliver an enhanced driving experience for their customers.”
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