Baidu to use BlackBerry softw.are in self-driving platform.
(Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd (BB.TO) and Chinese internet search firm Baidu Inc (BIDU.O) on Wednesday signed a deal to work jointly on developing self-driving vehicle technology, sending BlackBerry’s Toronto-listed shares up 8 percent to an over four-year high.
BlackBerry, which has developed software QNX Hypervisor 2.0 to run complex computer systems in vehicles, said Baidu would use its software for its self-driving open platform, Apollo.
“By integrating the BlackBerry QNX OS with the Apollo platform, we will enable carmakers to leap from prototype to production systems,” said Li Zhenyu, general manager of Baidu’s intelligent driving division.
The automotive industry is one of the fastest-growing segments of the technology market, as automakers race to add more features toward building self-driving cars.