BlackBerry Limited (BB)

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BlackBerry teams with Ford in first direct automaker deal
Oct. 31, 2016 5:54 PM• Jason Aycock
BlackBerry (BBRY -0.6%) has made its first direct deal with a major automaker, teaming up with Ford Motor (F +0.2%) to expand usage of its QNX secure operating system.

That opens an avenue into Ford's increasing push into automated vehicles, as well as a generally expanding use of software in automobiles.

A piece of BlackBerry's already in Ford vehicles, via usage of QNX in the Sync 3 infotainment console that Panasonic supplies to Ford. But direct dealing can help the two companies identify more uses.

"We can form the basis of the entire vehicle all the way from autonomous drive through to infotainment," BlackBerry QNX chief John Wall tells Reuters.