"Baby you can drive my car
Yes I'm gonna be a star"
-- From "Drive My Car" by Lennon/McCartney, 1965
Research In Motion
Well, maybe not drive it, but RIM certainly wants a part of your in-car infotainment experience. The BlackBerry maker just bought QNX Software Systems from consumer electronics expert Harman International Industries
The company boasts a market-leading position in the fledgling automotive market for entertainment and information displays, and the client list includes brands from Honda Motor
RIM hopes to "further integrate and enhance the user experience between smartphones and in-vehicle audio and infotainment systems,” according to co-CEO Mike Lazaridis. In other words, maybe you'll be able to control some of your car's functions from your BlackBerry, or easily share media between smartphones and the car’s infotainment system.
This is one way for RIM to differentiate its smartphones from the Apple
Will QNX make a difference for RIM? It certainly can't hurt, especially since the deal was cheap enough that the buyout price wasn’t disclosed. Tell me what you think in the comments below.
Editor's note: In a previous version of this article, QNX was incorrectly described as a "Linux-based" software platform. The Fool regrets the error.