BlackBerry Launches Audio and Acoustics Software Platform for Automakers

BlackBerry launched an audio and acoustics software platform that allows automakers to deliver new in-vehicle sound experiences and unlock new revenue opportunities.

The new QNX Sound platform lets automakers consolidate telephony, safety alerting, noise reduction, sound enhancement, media playback and other audio and acoustic functions “within the main software stack of the software-defined vehicle architecture,” the company said in a Monday (Jan. 8) press release.

“In the software-defined vehicle age, audio becomes a new playing field for innovation and differentiation,” John Wall, senior vice president and head of QNX at BlackBerry, said in the release.

The platform provides more control over the quality and functionality of these services while also unlocking endless signal processing creativity through advanced tuning tools with a graphical programming interface, according to the release.

With this software foundation, automakers can develop new audio-based services and collaborations with technology companies and multimedia content providers to bring new features into the vehicle, the release said.

The capability enables automakers to create new revenue streams by activating optional features like an upgrade to a branded premium level of audio such as on-demand or subscription services, per the release.

One firm that partnered with BlackBerry to create a plug-in that integrates its technology with the QNX Sound platform is digital audio solution provider Dirac, according to the release.

“This collaboration empowers OEMs with easy access to our solutions, maximizing fidelity and immersion, and offers the flexibility to continually enhance and refresh the in-car audio experience for listeners,” Hendrik Hermann, vice president automotive at Dirac, said in the release.

PYMNTS Intelligence reported that innovations around connected vehicles are driving a global automotive software market that is expected to have a compound annual growth rate of 15% through 2030.

Developers are producing tools that serve a variety of use cases for consumers, commercial drivers and fleet managers alike, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence study “Reshaping Global Business with Connected Vehicles.”

In April, BlackBerry partnered with CerebrumX to scale the latter’s offering of products based on connected vehicle data.

These products can be used by fleets to monitor their operations in real time, by insurance providers to offer plans based on driver behavior and by smart mobility solution providers to optimize their services.