You might not have heard much from Blackberry in the past few years, but a recent deal with BMW will put this company in the auto industry.
When we think of Blackberry, typically, an older version of mobile devices comes to mind, some of which bore the brand name and gave us the early version of smartphones that weren’t quite as smart as they are now. This company has been in the cell phone industry for a long time and only left this arena a year ago to begin to focus on a different form of technology.
Why BMW?
Why would BMW want to partner with a tech company that has been in the smartphone industry for a long time? BMW is as close to a luxury company that keeps classic driving dynamics at the forefront as you can get. In fact, this brand is full of athletic cars and SUVs that make driving more fun. This brand has its own technology and offers plenty of connectivity and safety features, which makes you wonder why you would find a partnership with Blackberry for the company that typically dominates the Nürburgring.
The Counterintuitive is Being Sought After
Even though BMW brings about the driving dynamics we love, autonomous driving is the future, which is where Blackberry comes in. Most of your driving is done on miles of highway at controlled speeds, and allowing this time to be done without your hands on the wheel and feet on the pedals can make it more enjoyable. One of the most important advancements in driving will be to be able to do it without actually driving. The more autonomous the experience can be, the more time you will have for your time behind the wheel.
What Does All This Mean?
The two companies have put a deal in place that will allow them to work jointly on SAE Level 2/2+ diving automation function that will eventually be used by BMW and other automakers to bring autonomous driving to the market. After Blackberry quit the smartphone industry a year ago to focus on software, this was one of the most inevitable paths for this company. This research into self-driving modes will be assigned to a dedicated team of engineers that will work closely with the BMW team to develop technology that will make it possible for cars to drive without being driven.
Maybe BMW is Finally Catching Up
The most direct competition for BMW is Mercedes-Benz, which beat BMW to the autonomous driving technology approval for Level 3 autonomy in a production car. This caused BMW to take action and find a partner to help them create the technology needed for Level 2, Level 2+, and Level 3 autonomous driving when it’s time to get out on the road. With the partnership formed between BMW and Blackberry we just might see models come out of the Bavarian company that has the capability to drive without your inputs during some of the time on the road.
Another Partnership will Benefit
Not only will the Blackberry team work to develop the autonomous driving technology for BMW, but the technology developed will benefit other automakers as well. A recent partnership has been formed between BMW and Stellantis, which is the parent company of the FCA brands. This means we could see Dodge, Chrysler, Ram, and Jeep models that have some form of autonomous driving in the future. Unfortunately, we won’t see an autonomous level of driving technology offered in the United States until regulators approve this technology for our roads.
The First BMW with Autonomy
The first model from this brand that will have Level 3 autonomy will be the 2022 BMW 7 Series which brings a sophisticated system of driving, but this car will not be offered in the United States. The same is true for the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class and EQS, which also won’t make it to the US to be offered for driving. In Europe, we will see a 7 Series that has the most technology and can drive for short periods of time without the driver putting their hands on the wheel or their feet on the pedals.
Some Blackberry Technology is Already Being Used
If you’re wondering why BMW chose to partner with Blackberry, it could be because of the development of QNX technology that is already being used in the automotive industry. We see this tech in models from Volvo and by various OEMs, including some of the biggest names in the industry. Ford, Honda, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen already benefit from this technology in the advanced driver assistance system and digital instrument features of the vehicles offered. The QNX technology has already made a huge impact on the automotive world, and Blackberry will continue to develop the technology needed for autonomous driving.
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