Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), a collaborative effort of some 100 technology companies and automakers, said that Toyota would start using its open-source software in Entune 3.0 consoles of its 2018 Camry sedans, before deploying it in most Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in North America.

BlackBerry claimed that while that is a kick in the nadgers for its current operations, it was more focused on the faster-growing market for autonomous driving technology anyway.

Writing in his bog, BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Marty Beard said he expected AGL - as well as regular Linux and Android - to take a share of the automotive infotainment market, where BlackBerry's QNX is a dominant supplier.

"None of these challenger platforms is close to displacing BlackBerry QNX in safety-critical modules, areas that are growing faster than infotainment in the modern software-defined car," Beard said in the blog post.

QNX was not Entune's main platform, but it did supply some peripheral infotainment software, BlackBerry spokeswoman Sarah McKinney said.

She was unsure whether QNX would continue to be used in new versions of Entune 3.0.

QNX said in October that it was working with Ford to develop increasingly automated vehicles, and executives have said they are in advanced discussions with several other major global automakers about similar partnerships.