BlackBerry QNX partnership with Dirac aims to make it easier for automotive manufacturers to upgrade sound systems
by CM Staff
New partnership combines Dirac Opteo Professional with the QNX Acoustics Management Platform to lower cost and complexity of manufacturer audio upgrades.
New partnership combines Dirac Opteo Professional with the QNX Acoustics Management Platform to lower cost and complexity of manufacturer audio upgrades.
LAS VEGAS — On Jan. 5, Swedish digital audio pioneer Dirac announced it has partnered with BlackBerry QNX to integrate Dirac’s Opteo Professional solution into the QNX® Acoustics Management Platform to make it easier for automakers to digitally upgrade the performance of sound systems in high-end vehicles. The two companies have already begun work on the first implementation in a high-end electric vehicle for a European manufacturer.
According to Lars Carlsson, Dirac’s Vice President and Head of Business Development Automotive Audio, the partnership enables automakers to optimize the sound experience across entire vehicle lineups while also demonstrating Dirac and BlackBerry QNX’s shared commitment to supporting the growing trend of software-defined vehicles that can offer subscription-based upgrades capable of receiving over-the-air software updates.
“High-quality audio can be challenging for automakers to perfect across entire line-ups, but, with the new Dirac-enabled QNX audio framework, manufacturers can quickly and easily upgrade any vehicle’s sound system with enhanced performance,” Carlsson said. “This presents automakers with an opportunity to capitalize on consumer demand for high-quality audio, while providing them with software-defined vehicles that offer added capabilities through subscriptions and other upgrades. Partnering with BlackBerry QNX is a win-win for automakers and their customers alike, and we look forward to expanding the collaboration to continue to push the bounds of automotive audio.”
Dirac Opteo Professional will be accessible on all QNX® supported chipsets through the QNX audio framework, eliminating the need for automakers to install audio software in either the head unit SoC or in a separate digital signal processor (DSP) – which can be a time consuming, expensive, and complex process.
Beginning with Dirac Opteo Professional, the partnership will expand to include Dirac Opteo Premium and Dirac Opteo Performance solutions, for mid- and entry-level vehicle sound systems respectively.
Dirac audio solutions will be standard features available to automakers. They can also be offered as potential upgrades to consumers at either the time of purchase or at a later date, through an over-the-air (OTA) update-based purchase.
“Collaborating with Dirac equips our industry-leading QNX Acoustics Management Platform with improved audio performance that ensures faithful reproduction of any content – while also offering manufacturers an entirely new revenue opportunity,” said Brad Hamme, Principal Solution Architect, Acoustics, at BlackBerry QNX. “Our goal is to make premium audio available to more drivers in more vehicles, and we are excited for the ongoing expansion of this partnership to address all classes of automobiles.”
Dirac’s automotive audio solutions are currently used by automotive brands such as Rolls Royce, Volvo, Polestar, BMW, NIO, and BYD, among others.
