隱藏在汽車(chē)方向盤(pán)背后的技術(shù)巨擘

????隨著公司不斷壯大，它的價(jià)值也水漲船高。2004年，音響設(shè)備及信息娛樂(lè)設(shè)備制造商哈曼國(guó)際集團(tuán)（Harman International）收購(gòu)了QNX，不到六年后又將其轉(zhuǎn)賣(mài)給了RIM（Research in Motion，即現(xiàn)在的黑莓公司）。黑莓斥資2億美元收購(gòu)了它，試圖讓黑莓深陷困境的智能手機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)重振旗鼓。QNX并未透露具體營(yíng)收情況，但2012年，“軟件及其他收入”僅占黑莓185億美元總收入的3%。當(dāng)然，對(duì)黑莓來(lái)說(shuō)，QNX從來(lái)沒(méi)被當(dāng)成是一棵搖錢(qián)樹(shù)——它的價(jià)值主要體現(xiàn)在為公司最新款手機(jī)和平板電腦提供的黑莓10操作系統(tǒng)。上個(gè)月，黑莓以去年第四財(cái)季9,400萬(wàn)美元的利潤(rùn)讓分析師大吃一驚。公司搭載黑莓10操作系統(tǒng)的全新Z10智能手機(jī)的出貨量也達(dá)到了100萬(wàn)臺(tái)。

????盡管初戰(zhàn)告捷，但要說(shuō)清QNX對(duì)黑莓智能手機(jī)和平板電腦的長(zhǎng)期影響還為時(shí)尚早。目前，這個(gè)領(lǐng)域當(dāng)然還是由搭載谷歌（Google）Android和蘋(píng)果（Apple）iOS系統(tǒng)的手機(jī)把持，以致一度叱咤風(fēng)云的黑莓如今只能是在夾縫中求生存。黑莓10今年1月才剛推出，而黑莓的最新手機(jī)黑莓Z10還沒(méi)在美國(guó)上市。而在汽車(chē)業(yè)，盡管其他對(duì)手，如正與福特公司（Ford）合作的微軟開(kāi)發(fā)的Sync系統(tǒng)也確實(shí)發(fā)出了挑戰(zhàn)，但QNX還是牢牢把控著市場(chǎng)。科斯洛夫斯基預(yù)計(jì)，其他主要對(duì)手如iOS和Android可能也并沒(méi)有被拉開(kāi)太大的差距。

????而眼下，QNX只管埋頭致力于創(chuàng)新。它之前已經(jīng)為消費(fèi)者提供了更為精巧的地圖技術(shù)，現(xiàn)在，QNX的工程師正將汽車(chē)儀表板技術(shù)推向未來(lái)。對(duì)此庫(kù)恩不愿透露更多細(xì)節(jié)，只是調(diào)侃道：“我們現(xiàn)在為2017年車(chē)型開(kāi)發(fā)的技術(shù)甚至讓我們自己也大吃一驚。”太吊人胃口了。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

????譯者：清遠(yuǎn)

????As the company evolved, so too did its value. In 2004, Harman International, a manufacturer of audio and infotainment equipment, purchased QNX, shopping it again less than six years later to mobile phone manufacturer Research in Motion (now BlackBerry). BlackBerry purchased the software company for $200 million in an attempt to recharge the brand's ailing smartphone lineup. QNX won't divulge revenues, but "software and other revenue" made up just 3% of the company's $18.5 billion in total revenues in fiscal 2012. Of course, QNX is not billed as a cash cow for the phone manufacturer -- its value lies in the BlackBerry 10 OS it provides for the company's latest phones and tablets. BlackBerry surprised analysts last month by posting profits of $94 million in the fourth quarter. The company also shipped one million new Z10 smartphones boasting the BlackBerry 10 OS.

Despite early success, it's too soon to tell what kind of long-term impact QNX will have on BlackBerry smartphone and tablet sales. The field is of course dominated by devices running Google (GOOG) Android and Apple (AAPL) iOS systems, leaving a once dominant BlackBerry device fighting for its life. BlackBerry 10 was only unveiled in January, and BlackBerry's newest phone, BlackBerry Z10, has yet to reach the U.S. market. On the auto front, QNX appears to have a much firmer grasp of the market, although other players, including Microsoft which is working with Ford (F) on its Sync system, are certain to offer a challenge. Other major operating systems like iOS and Android may not be far behind, predicts Koslowski.

????For now, QNX is simply looking to innovate. Some of the more sophisticated mapping technology is already available to consumers, and QNX engineers are planning out our dashboards years into the future. With specific details under wraps, Kuhn will only offer up a tease: "Some of what we are working on right now for the 2017 model year," he says, "is even blowing our minds." Just enough to lure you in.