Entering the Software Defined Vehicle era - Head of BlackBerry QNX, John Wall

By 2032 more than 300 million vehicles capable of over-the-air (OTT) software updates are expected to be on the road globally. That's according to SBD Automotive, an automotive technology research and consulting firm. BlackBerry is one company that is focused on delivering software systems and services to OEMs who are developing vehicles that can be constantly upgraded like a smart phone.

Auto Futures recently caught up with John Wall, Senior Vice President and Head of BlackBerry QNX.

"We like to refer to ourselves as plumbers and electricians. If you look at a house, we're what's behind the walls, what's under the floor. It's the components that the house relies on, but that you don't see," says Wall.

As we enter the Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) era, car makers are facing upheaval as they switch to becoming software developers.

"When the OEMs really look at SDV what they're really talking about is - how can I create an experience in the vehicle that improves over time."

"I think it's a flip that they believe they need to make, and I think that's a big challenge. Knowing how the ecosystem is going to change, how the tier one roles are going to change, who is going to be responsible for what, I think that's a big challenge," he adds.

BlackBerry's QNX Software Development Platform is designed to enable automakers to deliver more powerful products at lower costs, while maintaining safety, security and reliability standards. It recently announced the release of the latest version of the platform, QNX SDP 8.0.

"Our new version of our software will extract every ounce of performance. So we'll continue to focus on safety, continue to focus on security, but also now we're very, very keenly focused on performance, and providing the highest level performance of any operating system in the industry," explains Wall. 

AI And Automotive

In the SDV era, it's widely expected that cars will need ever greater protection from malevolent forces.

"The carmakers are very conscious of closing down the windows, closing the doors, locking everything down, making it very hard to get it to the systems. But the real benefit is no two car brands are the same. It's not like an iPhone where it's iOS or a handset from Google that's Android. The cars are very, very different," says Wall.

"As we start to progress into Software Defined Vehicle era and into the future, I believe there will be more commonality because...the car makers will figure out that some of the low level software is not that important."

"We have an entire whole cybersecurity division that has uses AI for cybersecurity. We're doing a lot of work with those teams to see what we can bring into the embedded space," he adds.

In terms of AI and the automotive sector, Wall says it's already in play. 

"It's there today, and it will continue to play a major role into the future. From a functional safety perspective, there are some challenges. How do you how do you guarantee the functionality of something that may be changing within the vehicle? It's challenging, but I see it playing a major role, especially in the area of autonomy," he explains.

A Greater Focus On Safety

Finally, we asked Wall what mobility is going to look like by the end of the decade. He said he's always very careful when offering up predictions, and began his answer wth an anecdote.

"In 2014, I went to CES and everybody was talking about autonomous driving. And a CEO got up, and I won't say which company but it was a big car company, and said 'by 2020 cars will be sold with no steering wheels'. And I knew that was absolute nonsense, because I knew how hard it was to do."

"You will see more safety features in all the cars that are software driven. I think that the cost of providing those safety features will be reduced as we consolidate more high performance platforms. I think there'll be a lot more applications available for the vehicle. I think there will be more communication to the vehicle," he says.

"In automotive, things move at a very measured pace. It's not like a light bulb will turn on and suddenly the car will be completely different. I think the focus with the carmakers is on safety, and I think software will play a bigger role in brand differentiation instead of engines and chassis," concludes Wall.