BlackBerry Signs In-Car Entertainment Deal With Ford

Remember BlackBerry? It’s been a while since any of us remember owning one of their devices. While they one were ubiquitous symbols of executive tech, they were quickly supplanted by smartphones and have all but ceased to exist.

BlackBerry has been working hard to reinvent itself and explore new avenues, including the QNX software already used in Ford’s infotainment systems. According to CNBC, Ford and BlackBerry have signed a deal to provide a new generation of software for Ford vehicles moving forward.

It’s a great move for BlackBerry, because the sheer depth of Ford’s worldwide market penetration means access to new markets for BlackBerry, as well as bolstering old ones. The once-familiar BlackBerry devices that have all but disappeared from our technological landscape, are still in use – and still popular – in southeast Asia and other markets around the world.

This move will allow BlackBerry to once again become profitable by moving away from hardware manufacturing and focusing exclusively on software. It’s good news for Ford fans, because this eye towards innovation has kept BlackBerry afloat during difficult times.

Owners of newer Ford vehicles have already enjoyed BlackBerry’s software efforts, and it will be exciting to see how the technology evolves over successive generations, and it might even open doors for other manufacturers to come knocking, looking for the same tech for their model lineups.

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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