BlackBerry and Microsoft are collaborating on something big, but it has nothing to do with smartphones

• BlackBerry's QNX will work with Microsoft on software-defined vehicles or SDVs
• QNX's software development platform will be available on Microsoft Azure
• This should shorten the time-to-market, enabling products to be delivered faster

BlackBerry, once synonymous with the business smartphone, is now a major automotive technology player through its QNX platform, and has now revealed a tie-up with Microsoft to revolutionize the development of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs).

The company announced its Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) division is collaborating with Microsoft in a bid to streamline the development process for automakers.

The partnership will integrate BlackBerry's software tools into the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, with the QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0 giving developers an environment for building, testing, and refining automotive software.

QNX Software on Microsoft Azure

Here, the cloud’s scalability should accelerate a typically extended development cycle. Early testing and the virtual validation of software ...