QNX Doubles Down on Developer Support to Fuel Embedded Software Innovation Everywhere
BlackBerry's QNX division has announced a major expansion of its QNX Everywhere initiative, making its foundational software freely available for non-commercial use. The program provides free access to the QNX Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0, along with complimentary resources and training.
The initiative aims to address the growing demand for skilled software engineers in industries like automotive, industrial, robotics, and medical. Key features include:
- Perpetual development licenses for non-commercial use
- Raspberry Pi 4 prebuilt quick start target image
- Access to open-source ports and optimized source code
- Engineering-led tutorial content
QNX has also established partnerships with universities across Canada, the U.S., South Korea, Europe, and India, implementing a 'one-to-many' model for academic institutions. The company has added developer relations specialists to engage with communities on GitLab, GitHub, Reddit, and Stack Overflow.
La divisione QNX di BlackBerry ha annunciato una grande espansione della sua iniziativa QNX Everywhere, rendendo disponibile gratuitamente il suo software di base per un uso non commerciale. Il programma offre accesso gratuito alla Piattaforma di Sviluppo Software QNX (SDP) 8.0, insieme a risorse e formazione gratuite.
L'iniziativa mira a rispondere alla crescente domanda di ingegneri software qualificati in settori come automotive, industriale, robotica e medicale. Le caratteristiche principali includono:
- Licenze di sviluppo perpetue per uso non commerciale
- Immagine target preconfigurata di Raspberry Pi 4 per un avvio rapido
- Accesso a porting open-source e codice sorgente ottimizzato
- Contenuti tutorial guidati da ingegneri
QNX ha inoltre stabilito partnership con università in Canada, Stati Uniti, Corea del Sud, Europa e India, implementando un modello 'one-to-many' per le istituzioni accademiche. L'azienda ha aggiunto specialisti delle relazioni con gli sviluppatori per interagire con le comunità su GitLab, GitHub, Reddit e Stack Overflow.
La división QNX de BlackBerry ha anunciado una importante expansión de su iniciativa QNX Everywhere, haciendo que su software fundamental esté disponible de forma gratuita para uso no comercial. El programa proporciona acceso gratuito a la Plataforma de Desarrollo de Software QNX (SDP) 8.0, junto con recursos y capacitación gratuitos.
La iniciativa tiene como objetivo abordar la creciente demanda de ingenieros de software calificados en industrias como la automotriz, industrial, robótica y médica. Las características clave incluyen:
- Licencias de desarrollo perpetuas para uso no comercial
- Imagen de inicio rápido preconstruida de Raspberry Pi 4
- Acceso a puertos de código abierto y código fuente optimizado
- Contenido tutorial dirigido por ingenieros
QNX también ha establecido asociaciones con universidades en Canadá, Estados Unidos, Corea del Sur, Europa e India, implementando un modelo 'uno-a-muchos' para las instituciones académicas. La empresa ha añadido especialistas en relaciones con desarrolladores para interactuar con comunidades en GitLab, GitHub, Reddit y Stack Overflow.
블랙베리의 QNX 부서는 QNX Everywhere 이니셔티브를 대폭 확장하였으며, 기본 소프트웨어를 비상업적 사용을 위해 무료로 제공한다고 발표했습니다. 이 프로그램은 QNX 소프트웨어 개발 플랫폼(SDP) 8.0에 무료로 접근할 수 있게 하며, 함께 무료 자원과 교육도 제공합니다.
이 이니셔티브는 자동차, 산업, 로봇 공학 및 의료와 같은 분야에서 숙련된 소프트웨어 엔지니어에 대한 성장하는 수요를 충족하는 것을 목표로 합니다. 주요 특징은 다음과 같습니다:
- 비상업적 사용을 위한 영구 개발 라이센스
- 래즈베리 파이 4의 사전 구축된 빠른 시작 대상 이미지
- 오픈 소스 포트 및 최적화된 소스 코드 접근
- 엔지니어 주도의 튜토리얼 콘텐츠
QNX는 또한 캐나다, 미국, 한국, 유럽 및 인도의 대학들과 파트너십을 맺고 '1대 다수' 모델을 구현하고 있습니다. 이 회사는 GitLab, GitHub, Reddit 및 Stack Overflow에서 커뮤니티와 소통하기 위해 개발자 관계 전문가를 추가했습니다.
La division QNX de BlackBerry a annoncé une importante expansion de son initiative QNX Everywhere, rendant son logiciel fondamental disponible gratuitement pour un usage non commercial. Le programme offre un accès gratuit à la Plateforme de Développement Logiciel QNX (SDP) 8.0, ainsi que des ressources et une formation gratuites.
L'initiative vise à répondre à la demande croissante d'ingénieurs logiciels qualifiés dans des secteurs comme l'automobile, l'industriel, la robotique et médical. Les caractéristiques clés comprennent :
- Licences de développement perpétuelles pour un usage non commercial
- Image cible de démarrage rapide préconstruite pour Raspberry Pi 4
- Accès à des ports open-source et à un code source optimisé
- Contenu de tutoriel dirigé par des ingénieurs
QNX a également établi des partenariats avec des universités au Canada, aux États-Unis, en Corée du Sud, en Europe et en Inde, en mettant en œuvre un modèle 'un-à-plusieurs' pour les établissements académiques. L'entreprise a ajouté des spécialistes des relations développeurs pour interagir avec les communautés sur GitLab, GitHub, Reddit et Stack Overflow.
Die QNX-Abteilung von BlackBerry hat eine wesentliche Erweiterung ihrer QNX Everywhere-Initiative angekündigt und stellt ihre grundlegende Software für die nicht kommerzielle Nutzung kostenlos zur Verfügung. Das Programm bietet kostenlosen Zugang zur QNX Softwareentwicklungsplattform (SDP) 8.0, sowie kostenlose Ressourcen und Schulungen.
Die Initiative zielt darauf ab, der wachsenden Nachfrage nach qualifizierten Softwareingenieuren in Branchen wie Automobil, Industrie, Robotik und Medizin zu begegnen. Zu den Hauptmerkmalen gehören:
- Immerwährende Entwicklungslizenzen für die nicht kommerzielle Nutzung
- Fertiges Schnellstart-Target-Image für Raspberry Pi 4
- Zugang zu Open-Source-Ports und optimierten Quellcodes
- Ingenieurgestützter Tutorialinhalt
QNX hat auch Partnerschaften mit Universitäten in Kanada, den USA, Südkorea, Europa und Indien gegründet und ein 'One-to-Many'-Modell für akademische Einrichtungen implementiert. Das Unternehmen hat Spezialisten für Entwicklerbeziehungen hinzugefügt, um mit Gemeinschaften auf GitLab, GitHub, Reddit und Stack Overflow zu interagieren.
- Free access to QNX SDP 8.0 platform for non-commercial use
- Strategic partnerships with universities across multiple countries
- Enhanced developer support through dedicated specialists
- Expansion of educational resources and training materials
- to non-commercial use only
- Currently restricted to specific academic institutions
Insights
BlackBerry's QNX division is executing a strategic pivot by making its embedded software development platform freely available for non-commercial use. This initiative, while appearing generous on the surface, is actually a calculated move to address critical market positioning challenges.
The timing aligns with the projected $44.1 billion embedded systems market growth by 2025, particularly in automotive, medical and industrial sectors. By targeting students and researchers, QNX is essentially building a talent pipeline and expanding its ecosystem - a strategy similar to Microsoft's successful educational licensing model.
The program's focus on Raspberry Pi 4 support and integration with popular developer platforms like GitHub signals a modernization effort to compete with emerging alternatives like Android Automotive OS and Linux-based platforms. However, the initiative's impact on BB's revenue will be minimal short-term, as it targets non-commercial users only.
The QNX Everywhere initiative reveals concerning defensive positioning rather than market strength. While expanding developer access is positive, this move suggests QNX is struggling to maintain relevance against rising open-source alternatives. The 'one-to-many' university partnership model indicates a shift from enterprise-first to education-first strategy - often a sign of market share pressure.
The focus on non-commercial licensing notably excludes potential revenue-generating opportunities, suggesting BlackBerry is prioritizing ecosystem growth over immediate monetization. This strategy, while potentially valuable for long-term ecosystem building, may signal challenges in QNX's commercial licensing business.
The initiative's emphasis on community building through Reddit and Stack Overflow represents a significant departure from QNX's traditionally enterprise-focused approach, indicating potential difficulties in maintaining its premium positioning in the embedded software market.
Free QNX Everywhere software resources now available, accelerating developers' ability to access, build, and deploy QNX-based systems
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 6, 2025 / QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:BB)(TSX:BB), today reaffirmed its commitment to making its high performance foundational software more broadly available for non-commercial use with a view to making embedded systems learning, experimentation and innovation easier than ever before.
As part of the QNX® Everywhere initiative, which seeks to nurture and grow QNX's worldwide developer community, students, schools, research organizations, and hobbyists can now quickly and easily gain free access to the QNX® Software Development Platform (SDP) 8.0, along with complimentary resources and on-demand training to empower budding developers to sharpen their skills and build groundbreaking solutions and demos.
Bridging the Skills Gap for a Software-Defined Future
As industries like automotive, industrial, robotics, and medical advance toward a software-defined future, the demand for skilled software engineers proficient in the world's leading platforms and technologies continues to surge. In response to this, the QNX Everywhere initiative was established to deliver critical education and resources, enabling the next generation of engineers to possess the skills and technical know-how to thrive and shape the future of the embedded world.
"Software engineering is the cornerstone of our future, enabling us to tackle society's most complex challenges, from autonomous driving to robotic surgery," said Grant Courville, SVP, Products and Strategy, QNX. "As our reliance on intelligent, connected technologies grows, initiatives like QNX Everywhere are crucial in making learning more accessible, providing developers with cutting-edge tools and technologies to fuel exploration, creativity, and problem-solving like never before. We're thrilled to expand access to QNX software for non-commercial use on a large scale basis for the first time ever, and we can't wait to see the countless innovations it's sure to spark."
Fostering Collaborative and Community-Driven Innovations
As part of the rollout, QNX has added dedicated developer relations specialists who will actively engage within the GitLab and GitHub communities and QNX developer forums on Reddit (r/QNX) and Stack Overflow (#QNX). With a vibrant - and growing - online community of QNX novices and experts, aspiring engineers will be able to connect with fellow QNX developers from around the world to share insights, collaborate on open-source projects, and troubleshoot challenges together. QNX has also struck agreements with a handful of Universities and Colleges in Canada, the U.S., South Korea, Europe, and India as part of a ‘one-to-many' model that equips entire classes and labs, putting QNX software licenses directly into the hands of faculty, undergraduate and graduate co-op students looking to burnish their skills and advance their research projects.
Friction-Free Access to QNX Software
Developers looking to get started right away will receive:
QNX SDP 8 single user non-commercial perpetual development license.
Raspberry Pi 4 prebuilt quick start target image and associated add-on components (rendering applications, graphics, touch screen, camera, wired and Wi-Fi network support, USB storage and more).
Access to additional QNX open-source ports and optimized source code.
Access to engineering-led tutorial content like accessible how-to videos explaining embedded systems software development and operating system concepts.
"Whether you're an aerospace enthusiast looking for a software platform to launch and guide model rockets into space, an aspiring engineer aiming to develop autonomous robot prototypes, or a retro gaming fan wanting to build a custom console, QNX Everywhere can help you get there," added Courville.
Future Growth: Scaling QNX Everywhere Through Global Engagement
Future plans on the QNX Everywhere roadmap include establishing additional post-secondary computer science and engineering program collaborations as well as involvement in developer events and more. As the program and ecosystem evolves, QNX will also look to expand its reference materials, increase product source code availability, and offer additional optimized open-source ports and pre-built software packages to enhance developer support.
To join the QNX developer community and get a free QNX SDP 8.0 license for your personal non-commercial use, visit https://www.qnx.com/products/everywhere/. For faculty at academic institutions wishing to license QNX software for free on a multiuser basis, please visit https://blackberry.qnx.com/en/company/qnx-in-education.
About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE:BB; TSX:BB) provides enterprises and governments the intelligent software and services that power the world around us. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company's high-performance foundational software enables major automakers and industrial giants alike to unlock transformative applications, drive new revenue streams and launch innovative business models, all without sacrificing safety, security, and reliability. With a deep heritage in Secure Communications, BlackBerry delivers operational resiliency with a comprehensive, highly secure, and extensively certified portfolio for mobile fortification, mission-critical communications, and critical events management. The company is also a pioneer in leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to deliver advanced cybersecurity solutions to its customers.
About QNX
QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB), enhances the human experience and amplifies technology-driven industries, providing a trusted foundation for software-defined businesses to thrive. The business leads the way in delivering safe and secure operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools, along with support and services delivered by trusted embedded software experts. QNX® technology has been deployed in the world's most critical embedded systems, including more than 255 million vehicles on the road today. QNX® software is trusted across industries including automotive, medical devices, industrial controls, robotics, commercial vehicles, rail, and aerospace and defense. Founded in 1980, QNX is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Learn more at qnx.com.
©2025 BlackBerry Limited. Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design, QNX and the QNX logo design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.
Media Contacts:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com
SOURCE: QNX
View the original press release on accesswire.com
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