Developers and software engineers face mounting pressure to balance rapid innovation with safety and security, says software provider BlackBerry Limited. The company released the results of its survey of 1,000 embedded software developers and engineers worldwide on October 8.
The survey found growing tensions between meeting tight project deadlines and maintaining functional safety, according to the report. The research is pertinent to the company’s BlackBerry QNX real-time OS and software for embedded systems.
BlackBerry found that 75% of respondents acknowledge that urgency often forces them to compromise on key safety requirements. While developers cite security (54%), cost control (52%), and safety certifications (48%) as their top considerations when selecting an operating system, the survey also highlights significant downstream challenges in these areas that have made the vast majority (74%) of respondents open to changing their existing OS. Of those who must meet international safety standards, 61% say it is extremely or very challenging to meet these specific standards with their current operating system. Security concerns (36%) and lackluster performance issues (28%) are two main reasons respondents are considering changing their current OS.