Blackberry

[Spokes]

Liberals give BlackBerry $40 million to support self-driving car development

BlackBerry is getting $40 million in federal funding to help it develop technologies for self-driving cars.

The company is putting $300 million of its own money into the initiative, expected to create 800 jobs over the next decade at BlackBerry's campus in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata, as well as support 300 existing jobs there.

The one-time smartphone leader is now working on advanced software for autonomous vehicles and will use federal money for software development and skills training for workers.

https://www.kitchenertoday.com/local-new...nt-1245765

[Spokes]

Does anyone else think this seems like a really hard change of direction for BB? Attempt to stay relevant? Out of curiosity, how many people still use a BlackBerry?

[robdrimmie]

Does anyone else think this seems like a really hard change of direction for BB?    Attempt to stay relevant?  Out of curiosity, how many people still use a BlackBerry?

It seems weird, but it's been in the works for the better part of a decade or so. They acquired QNX (an operating system company, Canadian, originally made by Waterloo grads ) in 2010 - the shift to BB 10 was moving all their devices to that operating system. 

Before acquisition (and since) QNX has been in use by a large number of industries but notably here it's one of the most popular operating systems for cars. BB largely abandoned the handset parts of their business in 2015 or so, sometime after Chen took over. Cars are one of their core lines of business and have been for a while. This is a good bet by the government I think, it's an investment that's likely to pay off, not a bail out.

[rangersfan]

It all makes sense, I just wish they would have brought some jobs to Waterloo Region.

[tomh009]

QNX (first Quantum, then RIM and now BlackBerry) has always been in the Ottawa area, though.

[nms]

Research In Motion's first contract was with GM in 1984, albeit for a messaging system on the GM production floor called Budgie, so in a way they are coming full circle back to the automotive industry.