Comeback stock Blackberry Ltd (NYSE:BB, TSE:BB) put on another spurt on Wednesday on the back of a deal with Chinese search giant Baidu.
The Canadian software firm’s stock rose 13% after it revealed it is to hook-up with Baidu to jointly develop self-driving technology.
READ: BlackBerry beats expectations with quarterly earnings
The intention is for BlackBerry’s QNX Hypervisor 2.0 safety operating system to be used as the basis for Baidu’s self-driving vehicles open platform, Apollo.
BlackBerry and Baidu also plan to work together to integrate Baidu's CarLife, smartphone integration software for connected cars, as well as its conversational artificial intelligence system DuerOS, to run on the BlackBerry QNX car information and entertainment platform.
“BlackBerry QNX has established itself as the OS platform for safety-certified production-based systems," said Li Zhenyu, the general manager of Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group.
READ: Blackberry shares soar as it reaps rewards of move to software
“We aim to provide automakers with a clear and fast path to fully autonomous vehicle production, with safety and security as top priorities. By integrating the BlackBerry QNX OS with the Apollo platform, we will enable car makers to leap from prototype to production systems. Together, we will work toward a technological and commercial ecosystem for autonomous driving, intelligent connectivity, and intelligent traffic systems," the Baidu spokesperson continued.