Mitsubishi Electric Selects BlackBerry to Power its New In-Vehicle System

September 26, 2023

Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect™ powered by BlackBerry IVY® enables new in-cabin experiences and improves safety with edge intelligence

TOKYO and WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Electric (TOKYO: 6503) and BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today announced that Mitsubishi Electric's new automotive in-cabin system, Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect™, will be powered by BlackBerry IVY®, an edge-to-cloud vehicle data platform. The collaboration will help advance road safety by leveraging an array of sensor data to anticipate safety risks, reduce driver distractions, highlight potential driving hazards, and enable new consumer experiences.

"The collaboration between Mitsubishi Electric and BlackBerry to advance our in-cabin system takes the driving experience to the next level by truly going the extra mile," said Mark Rakoski, VP Advanced Engineering at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, inc. "With its advanced safety features, intuitive interface, and enhanced sensory feedback, Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect™ establishes a new cabin experience standard, revolutionizing the way we interact with vehicles. With BlackBerry IVY, we're able to bring innovations like this to market faster, and in full confidence that the security and privacy of user data is protected."

"We are delighted that Mitsubishi Electric has selected BlackBerry to power its new in-vehicle system," said Vito Giallorenzo, SVP General Manager of IVY and Head of Corporate Development at Blackberry. "By leveraging BlackBerry IVY as a key component of its FLEXConnect™ platform, Mitsubishi Electric raises the bar for in-cabin experiences and helps improve road safety. BlackBerry IVY is unique in how it enables automotive OEMs to leverage a multitude of vehicle signal data in real-time and cost effectively into valuable insights."

The Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect™ platform core is its driver monitoring system (DMS) and occupant monitoring system (OMS). BlackBerry IVY allows the platform to extract and analyze data from internal and external sensors and leverages machine learning to process all data collected at the vehicle edge compute node.

Safety features and consumer experiences that BlackBerry IVY powers in the Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect™ platform include:

  • Determining driver distraction and concentration levels by detecting signs of drowsiness, estimating cognitive load, monitoring interaction with the infotainment system and more.
  • Collecting biometric information to provide insight into short- and long-term changes to a driver's physical status, such as health, triggering autonomous pullovers and alerts to emergency services.
  • Analyzing facial features to create personalized identification profiles for automated verification to enable vehicle access and in-car payments.
  • Correlating user preferences with environmental information, such as suggesting optimal parking locations based on preferences for cost, distance from destination, parking format and availability.

For more information on Mitsubishi Electric FLEXConnect™, visit meaa-mea.com/.

For more information on BlackBerry solutions for the software-defined vehicle visit: BlackBerry.com/IVY.

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 over 235M 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 management, endpoint security, encryption, and embedded systems.  BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust. 

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

Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.  BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

About Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
With 100 years of experience in providing reliable, high-quality products, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) is a recognized world leader in the manufacture, marketing, and sales of electrical and electronic equipment used in information processing and communications, space development, and satellite communications, consumer electronics, industrial technology, energy, transportation, and building equipment. Mitsubishi Electric enriches society with technology in the spirit of its "Changes for the Better." The company recorded a revenue of 4.48 trillion yen in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. For more information, please visit www.MitsubishiElectric.com

Media Contacts:
John Millerschin
jmillerschin@millerschingroup.com
248 705 5828 (cell) 

BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com

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