BlackBerry QNX Adds Another Certification to its Embedded Software Portfolio

November 05, 2020

WATERLOO, CANADA and COLOGNE, GERMANY – November 5, 2020 – BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced the launch of QNX® OS for Safety 2.2, a new release of the trusted, safety-certified operating system that OEMs and other embedded software suppliers can use to build safety-critical systems, accelerating development timelines and reducing the cost of moving projects from research to production.

Based on the QNX® Neutrino® Real-time Operating System (RTOS), the QNX OS for Safety 2.2 has been certified by the independent auditors at TÜV Rheinland to IEC 61508 SIL3 (industrial), ISO 26262 ASIL D (automotive), and IEC 62304 Class C (medical devices) functional safety standards. The product also includes C and C++ toolchains qualified to ISO 26262, IEC 61508 TCL3 and T3 requirements. The BlackBerry QNX functional safety product portfolio now includes a safety certified C++ runtime library to complement the OS product offering.

Select Tier 1 automotive suppliers are currently utilizing QNX OS for Safety 2.2 in their development of next generation automotive technology.

“From autonomous vehicles to aerospace, medical devices to military applications, regardless of the industry, the common challenge facing embedded software developers is ensuring safety, security and reliability. With its pre-certified toolchains and libraries, QNX OS for Safety 2.2 streamlines development and certification of safety-critical systems, providing peace of mind to developers,” said Grant Courville, Vice President, Products and Strategy at BlackBerry QNX. “Obtaining the highest functional safety standard certification for industrial, automotive and now, medical devices further affirms our leadership as a provider of software for safety-critical systems and we’re confident that it will be well-received by embedded developers looking to turbocharge their innovation.”

“Most companies are facing problems related to the usage of non-qualified tool chains and software components. The qualification efforts for tool chains are often underestimated and the situation is even worse regarding software components, which will end up in the safety related target design. In most cases there is not only the impact on additional qualification activities. Software based workarounds are often used to mitigate the potential weaknesses of software components with an impact on microcontroller resources (memory, CPU load, etc.). The usage of safety-certified tool chains and software components can solve these problems. Confidence in the correctness of Certificates is provided through the accreditation of TÜV Rheinland, which proves state-of-the-art qualification and assessment activities,” said Thomas Steffens, Regional Business Segment Manager of the Automation, Functional Safety & Cyber Security division of TÜV Rheinland Industrie Service GmbH.

BlackBerry QNX has a broad portfolio of functional safety-certified embedded software including the QNX OS for Safety, the QNX Hypervisor for Safety, and the QNX Black Channel Communications Technology. Its expertise and integrity in safety, security and continued innovation has led to its technology being embedded in more than 175 million vehicles on the road today, as well as in safety-critical systems for medical devices, industrial controls, rail, robotics and aerospace and defense.

For more information on BlackBerry QNX products and Professional Services, including Safety Services and Functional Safety training, please visit blackberry.qnx.com.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 175M cars on the road today.  Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems.  BlackBerry’s vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere. 

About TÜV Rheinland

TÜV Rheinland is a leading international provider of technical services for testing, inspection, certification, consultation, and training. We support innovation and new developments in technology and business and offer services that improve safety and quality of companies. For more information, visit www.tuv.com.

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