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Bloomberg
BlackBerry Ltd.’s efforts to push into self-driving cars took a new step forward as the former smartphone maker signed a deal with Chinese internet giant Baidu Inc. to work together on automotive software.
Baidu will bundle BlackBerry’s QNX vehicle operating system into its Apollo self-driving car platform, a set of tools that automakers can use when designing autonomous vehicles.
The partnership also includes integrating BlackBerry’s more established in-car entertainment software into Apollo.
BlackBerry’s QNX unit has long been a leader in building systems to run entertainment and mapping programmes in cars.
Now, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company is trying to transform that expertise into building operating systems that can run much more complex and demanding driverless car software, an enormous emerging market.