BlackBerry unveils cybersecurity tool for cars Jarvis, upping bet on auto market

BlackBerry Ltd. is launching a new security tool for automobile manufacturers, one of the company’s major areas of growth.

Executive chairman John Chen says the new BlackBerry Jarvis will scan all software components in a vehicle within minutes to predict and fix vulnerabilities. Jarvis will be customized for each manufacturer and sold by BlackBerry on a pay-per-use basis.

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READ MORE: BlackBerry ‘likely’ to become a takeover target: report

The company, based in Waterloo, Ont., didn’t announce what it will charge for Jarvis or how much revenue it is expected to generate for BlackBerry.

Chen has said previously, however, that BlackBerry expects its other new automotive products would start contributing revenue a year or more after hitting the market.

The former smartphone company says Jarvis also has potential for the health care, manufacturing, aerospace and defence industries.