First Electric Locomotive Built in Turkey Pulls Ahead With QNX Neutrino OS

NEW YORK, NEW YORK--(July 19, 2016) - BLACKBERRY SECURITY SUMMIT - QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited, today announced that the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK)-Marmara Research Center (MRC) has selected the QNX® Neutrino® Realtime OS as the software platform for its new E1000 electric locomotive. The first prototype locomotive was delivered to the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and successfully passed testing. Seventy locomotives are expected to be built by the Turkey Locomotive and Motor Industry Corporation (TÜLOMSAŞ) by 2023.

The E1000 uses the QNX Neutrino OS in two critical components: the Train Control and Monitoring System (TCMS) and the Traction Control Unit (TCU). The TCMS serves as the brains of the E1000, performing centralized management, communications and diagnostics for the locomotive's various subsystems. The TCU ensures optimal traction during acceleration, cornering and braking, and helps maximize the E1000's energy efficiency.

The E1000, which is developed and built for TCDD with the cooperation of TÜBİTAK MRC and TÜLOMSAŞ, marks a turning point for the Turkish railway industry, which has traditionally relied on imported rail technology. As the first electric locomotive designed and built in Turkey, the E1000 demonstrates the country's drive to become an innovation hub and, ultimately, a global exporter of state-of-the-art train-control systems.

"The QNX Neutrino OS was the perfect choice for the E1000 locomotive project," said associate professor, Dr. Abdülkadir Balıkçı, Director of the Energy Institute, TÜBİTAK MRC. "It helped us build a high-performance system that can manage multiple time-critical tasks while processing huge volumes of data. It also allowed us to achieve a high degree of reliability and system availability. In a train-control system, there is no room for reboots. And, last but not least, the OS was instrumental in helping us create a safe-by-design system architecture."

Achieving a high level of safety and reliability was critical to the success of the E1000 project, but so was the need to complete the project on time. "We expected the QNX Neutrino OS to enable high reliability, but quickly discovered that its unique microkernel architecture also makes it easier to design, develop and debug sophisticated rail applications. We estimate that, by using QNX Neutrino and the QNX Momentics® Tool Suite, we were able to reduce our software development time by 50 percent," commented Dr. Balıkçı.

"We are proud to help TÜBİTAK reach this historic milestone," said John Wall, Senior Vice President and Head of QNX Software Systems. "QNX OS technology has a proven track record in an array of railway applications, including locomotive control, brake control, tilt control and yard control. The successful launch of the E1000 is a testament to our ultra-reliable OS architecture, and demonstrates why QNX is an ideal OS partner for companies building safety-critical rail applications."

To learn more about QNX technology and how it makes a difference in everyday life, visit the QNX Software Systems website.

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About TÜBİTAK MRC

TÜBİTAK, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, with its vision to be an innovative, guiding, participating and cooperating institution in the fields of science and technology, serves for the improvement of society's life standards and for sustainable development of Turkey. TÜBİTAK supports innovation through academic and industrial R&D studies, conducting research and development activities in accordance with national priorities and by determining the science and technology policies of Turkey. Marmara Research Center (MRC) is one of the oldest and largest research centers of TÜBİTAK and conducts applied research and development activities. With its customer oriented approach, it offers original solutions to public, private and military agencies and institutions.

The Energy Institute is one of the seven institutes of TÜBİTAK MRC, conducting project-based studies in the field of energy technologies.

About QNX Software Systems

QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited, is a leading provider of operating systems, middleware, development tools, and professional services for connected embedded systems. Global leaders such as Audi, Siemens, General Electric, Cisco, and Lockheed Martin depend on QNX technology for their in-car electronics, medical devices, industrial automation systems, network routers, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Visit www.qnx.com and follow @QNX_News on Twitter. For updates on the company's automotive work, follow @QNX_Auto and visit qnxauto.blogspot.com.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world's most sensitive data across all end points – from cars to smartphones – making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and "BBRY" on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

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