BlackBerry Ltd. is joining forces with Delphi Automotive Plc to provide the operating system for the low-cost self-driving car technology the auto-parts supplier will begin offering in 2019.

BlackBerry's QNX unit, a supplier of infotainment software to major automakers including Ford Motor Co., will collaborate with Delphi on a system that improves software performance and enhances safety in autonomous cars, the two companies said Wednesday.

Delphi is developing an affordable self-driving system with Intel and its Mobileye unit that it will begin selling to carmakers in two years.

QNX SDP 7.0 provides high performance and kernel-level security through an array of features, including microkernel architecture, file encryption, adaptive time partitioning, a high availability framework, anomaly detection, and multi-level policy-based access control. BlackBerry QNX's OS offers a safety pedigree proven by certification to ISO 26262 ASIL D (the highest level achievable) for automobiles and to IEC 61508 SIL 3 for industrial automation systems, and by compliance with IEC 62304 for life-critical Class III medical devices.