BlackBerry Teams Up With Delphi For QNX Operating System

Wednesday was a big news day in the self-driving automobile technology space. A potential Tesla Inc TSLA partnership with chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD captured most of the headlines.

However, BlackBerry Ltd BBRY also announced its own under-the-radar driverless technology software deal with Delphi Automotive PLC DLPH.

While most of the larger auto makers are developing their own autonomous systems, Delphi is working on developing a third-party system it can begin selling to smaller automakers as soon as 2019.

Delphi says BlackBerry’s QNX operating system has just the kind of security standards that the company is looking to include in its driverless system.

Security will be a major concern during the roll-out of driverless automobile software. Cybercriminals could potentially do a lot of damage if they were able to gain control of cars on the highway.

BlackBerry investors are hoping driverless automobile security will play a major role in the company’s rebirth as a digital security company, as BlackBerry continues to distance itself from its legacy smartphone business.

Back in August, Goldman Sachs analyst Gabriela Borges said the market is putting way too much stock in BlackBerry’s auto business. At the time, Goldman estimated BlackBerry’s auto business was valued at a bloated 13 to 17 times revenue, and the firm saw very little near-term growth potential. Borges said BlackBerry investors can expect a meaningful tailwind from the auto business starting in 2019.

BlackBerry shares initially jumped 7.7 percent on Wednesday following reports of the Delphi deal. The stock has cooled in early Thursday trading, down 1.8 percent on the day.

Related Link: Analysis: Auto Business Prospects Not Enough To Breathe Life Back Into BlackBerry

Image credit: Ben Stassen, Flickr