Critical Software Selects BlackBerry to Help Drive Safety Improvements for Portugal's National Rail Network

The pre-certified QNX OS for Safety enables Critical Software to meet stringent safety standards and efficiently achieve target performance

WATERLOO, ON and COIMBRA, Portugal, Jan. 27, 2022 /CNW/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced that its QNX® OS for Safety has been selected by Critical Software to serve as a secure and trusted foundation for a railway protection system being deployed to improve the overall safety of Portugal's national rail network.

Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), the Portuguese railway infrastructure manager, had been looking for a solution that performed movement authority and speed supervision functionalities. IP awarded Critical Software with a contract to design, supply and supervise the installation of a complementary safety system to be deployed for its fleet of maintenance vehicles that inspect things like tracks, bridges and overhead lines. The QNX-powered system from Critical Software will perform active supervision of vehicle operations, avoid Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) scenarios and ensure applicable speed restrictions are met on Portugal's 2,786 km (1,731 mi) of track.

"Increasing rail safety and separating maintenance workers from train traffic is critical to saving lives. BlackBerry QNX is trusted by rail partners around the globe to help them develop safe, secure mission-critical systems that they can count on and it's a real pleasure to share both our expertise and proven technology to support the comprehensive safety solution that Critical Software will be rolling out across the Portuguese rail network," said Joerg Zimmer VP, BlackBerry Technology Solutions.

"Overseeing the safety of the legions of maintenance vehicles that work across a rail network as vast as Portugal's is no small task and something that requires having a high level of trust and reliability in one's suppliers," said Luís Gargaté, Business Development Director at Critical Software. "Beyond just a supplier, we see BlackBerry QNX as a true partner. Besides supplying the operating system, their support to help us certify the overall solution will be crucial to deploy it faster."

Trusted by devices where reliability and safety are critical, the QNX OS for Safety has been adopted across multiple industries including rail transportation, industrial controls, automotive and medical. The QNX OS for Safety is pre-certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D and IEC 61508 SIL 3. The pre-certified solution provides Critical Software with a strong basis to develop a system that meets stringent safety certifications and standards including IEC 62279: 2015, a railway functional safety standard.

For more information on BlackBerry QNX products and solutions for the rail transportation industry, please visit BlackBerry.QNX.com.

About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company secures more than 500M endpoints including 195M vehicles.  Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security, endpoint management, encryption, and embedded systems.  BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere. 

For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.  

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About Critical Software
Founded in 1998, Critical Software is an international technology company providing trusted solutions and services for safety, mission and business-critical information systems. The company has an international client base across industries as diverse as railway, space, aerospace, energy, defence, finance, medical devices, maritime and automotive, and strives to meet the most demanding standards for software safety and performance.

Critical Software employs over 900 people across offices in Portugal, the UK and Germany and is one of only a few tech companies in the world to have both waterfall and agile software development processes rated at CMMI® Level 5. The company has achieved Investors in People Gold status and is B Corp certified, reflecting its commitment to sustainability, transparency and business for good.

For more information, visit www.criticalsoftware.com.

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SOURCE BlackBerry Limited