BlackBerry Buys Cylance for $1.4 Billion
BlackBerry Ltd. executed a $1.4 billion purchase of California-based cybersecurity company Cylance, which further illustrates how tech companies are involving their operations in the autonomous vehicle space.
Under John Chen, BlackBerry has shifted to selling software to manage mobile devices, as well as systems in driverless cars. The company’s QNX software allows carmakers to offer a range of features such as infotainment, connectivity, in-car network security, an advanced driver assistance system and an over-the-air software update platform. Privately owned Cylance’s software will complement BlackBerry’s software since it uses machine learning to preempt security breaches.
QNX is currently being used by a clutch of companies developing driverless technologies such as automakers Ford Motor Co. and Tata Motors Ltd.’s Jaguar cars, as well as technology firms such as Baidu Inc. and Nvidia Corp.
About 120 million cars are using BlackBerry’s technology, particularly QNX.
