BlackBerry QNX launches Ultra scalable, high performance computing operating system

     BlackBerry announced Early Access Version 8.0 of the QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) to empower automakers and iot system developers to deliver more powerful products at a lower cost, while maintaining the superior functional security, network security and reliability standards that QNX technology has always enjoyed.

     The SDP 8.0 features the new next-generation QNX operating system (OS), BlackBerry's highest-performing, functional and network secure embedded operating system ever, designed to harness the performance potential of the growing number of multi-core processors that automakers and iot system developers are deploying to their products. Thanks to BlackBerry QNX's leading IP and unique experience in high-performance edge computing, SDP 8.0 comes after intensive research and development.

     The new architecture provides significant performance gains while maintaining its competitive advantage as a functional and network secure, POSIX-compliant, real-time microkernel based operating system. With an increasing number of kernels, the new architecture exhibits perfect one-to-one performance scalability that is unprecedented in commercial real-time operating systems. With the introduction of the next generation QNX operating system, customers can now tap into the full performance of their next generation processors and reduce their total cost by maximizing the available computing resources. The new operating system is a boon for automakers facing the challenge of exponentially increasing complexity in software architecture amid a shift to software-defined vehicles.

     QNX SDP 8.0 lays the foundation for the next generation of BlackBerry QNX product family, including the next generation QNX OS for Safety, QNX Hypervisor, and QNX Hypervisor for Safety. The new technology enables developers to choose BlackBerry QNX technology to meet their needs.

     "The automotive industry is redefining in-car software," said John Wall, senior vice president and head of QNX at BlackBerry. "Vehicle architecture is transitioning to modular, central computing and software-defined vehicles in their final form. SDP 8.0, QNX OS for Safety and the top-down scalability inherent in the QNX Hypervisor make them a natural choice for automakers looking for an all-in-one operating system for the entire vehicle."

     BlackBerry is working with NVIDIA to integrate the QNX OS microkernel in the next generation of NVIDIA DRIVE Thor. The platform delivers 2,000 TFLOPS and integrates the autopilot and AI cockpit into a single central computing platform.

     "The combination of the DRIVE Thor centralized computing platform and the new QNX OS will provide a solid foundation for Oems to build next-generation vehicle systems that deliver the highest level of functional security and cybersecurity," said Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at Nvidia. "This is another important milestone in Nvidia's nearly 20-year partnership with BlackBerry QNX and will help propel both companies to the forefront of the automotive industry."

     Alex Oyler, Director of SBD Automotive, a leading global automotive technology research and consulting firm, said: "With more than 300 million vehicles globally expected to be capable of mobile software upgrades by 2032, automakers desperately need better tools to help them develop software-defined technology features that are highly attractive in their vehicles. Designing a secure operating system that integrates seamlessly with other components on a high-performance chip is the foundation for functional security, cybersecurity and a seamless driving experience. Automakers and suppliers rely on proven software and well-integrated development tools to help them more efficiently build and maintain differentiated software for their fleets."