Research In Motion has agreed to acquire QNX Software Systems from its current owner, Harman International. QNX, which is based in Canada, produces software that's embedded in a wide variety of systems, from air traffic control and surgical equipment to in-dash radios and infotainment equipment.
Mike Lazaridis, RIM's President and Co-CEO, said "We look forward to ongoing collaboration between Harman, QNX and RIM to further integrate and enhance the user experience between smartphones and in-vehicle audio and infotainment systems. In addition to our interests in expanding the opportunities for QNX in the automotive sector and other markets, we believe the planned acquisition of QNX will also bring other value to RIM in terms of supporting certain unannounced product plans for intelligent peripherals, adding valuable intellectual property to RIM's portfolio and providing long-term synergies for the companies based on the significant and complementary OS expertise that exists within the RIM and QNX teams today."