BlackBerry (BB.TO) rose 2.7% at last look Monday in NYSE pre-market trading after its QNX division sealed an agreement with Microsoft to make it easier for automakers to build, test, and refine software within the cloud.

As part of the collaboration, the QNX Software Development Platform 8.0 will soon be available on Microsoft Azure, BlackBerry said.

"Together with Microsoft, we are looking at innovative ways to bring Microsoft Azure AI in to support cutting-edge technology early in the development cycle," said John Wall, chief operating officer and head of product, engineering and services at QNX.

Separately, QNX launched QNX Cabin, a framework that allows original equipment manufacturers to virtualize the development of sophisticated digital cockpits for software defined vehicles in the cloud.

BlackBerry said this cloud-first approach enables teams to seamlessly collaborate across different locations, speeding up development workflows, streamlining processes and improving overall time-to-market.

BlackBerry said the complete suite of QNX automotive offerings will be on display at CES from Jan. 7-10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.