BlackBerry holding company Research In Motion (RIM) announced that it has acquired mobile user interface (UI) company, The Astonishing Tribe (TAT).

 

“Today we are pleased to confirm plans for The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) team to join Research in Motion (RIM),” David Yach, chief technology officer at RIM stated in a blogpost.

 

“For those who don’t know, TAT is renowned for their innovative mobile user interface (UI) designs and has a long history of working with mobile and embedded technology. TAT focuses on delivering great user experiences, from a design, technology, and usability perspective. Their design technology is used today in a variety of industries including the consumer electronics and automotive sectors.”

 

RIM only recently decided to update its user-friendly, but ageing mobile operating system (OS) with BlackBerry 6 as first experienced on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 (which you can win this month by entering from our front page here). Buying TAT is widely regarded as a move by the company to bolster its UI development even further. 

 

Here’s what we had to say about the new OS: “BlackBerry 6 really demonstrates the commitment the company has made to its new market segment. It is distinctly focused on the general consumer, but also manages not to lose the business friendly feel that made the brand so popular to begin with. Although we experienced a few niggles during usage (lagging and overcomplicated menu systems), BlackBerry 6 is definitely a step in the right direction for the company.”