Ford Motor Company will be using BlackBerry's QNX on its next generation Sync system. The carmaker reportedly dropped its current vendor, Microsoft, because BlackBerry offered cheaper licensing fees.
Ford Sync is a voice-activated technology that lets users place calls, listen to music, and navigate without taking their hands away from the steering wheel and eyes on the street.
According to a study by the consulting firm Accenture, In-vehicle technology is the number one factor a customer considers when buying for a car. It accounts for 39 percent of all car buyers - a rate more than 100 percent higher than the 14 percent rate of those who are considering speed and power.
However, though Ford is one of the cars with excellent in-car technology, it is still struggling with errors. To work on that, instead of employing Microsoft's Windows on its Sync system, Ford, has decided to shift to the BlackBerry's QNX, said people close to the matter to Bloomberg.
Continuous improvement of Sync is very important for the automaker to entice customers who look for cars that will let them connected at all times.
With the use of BlackBerry's QNX, the Dearborn, Mich.-based company will not just improve the flexibility and speed of its next Sync system; it will also spend less because use of QNX is less expensive that licensing Microsoft technology.
When asked for comments regarding the rumored partnership, Ford spokeswoman Susannah Wesley, said in a statement to Bloomberg, "We do not discuss details of our work with others or speculate on future products for competitive reasons."
Spokespersons for Microsoft Peter Wootton and BlackBerry's QNX Paul Leroux, on the other hand, declined to comment on the issue.
QNX and Microsoft are the major suppliers of in-vehicle operating system software, said researcher IHS iSuppli.
BlackBerry's QNX Software Systems is used in cars made by BMW, Chrysler, General Motors, Hyundai, Porsche, and Volkswagen AG's Audi unit.
