WATERLOO, CANADA: The manufacturer of BlackBerry handsets, Research in Motion has announced on this Thursday that it has acquired Swedish mobile User Interface designer ‘The Astonishing Tribe’ (a.k.a TAT).

Research In Motion (RIM) which was founded in 1984, is a Canadian designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless devices and solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. RIM is best known as the developer of the Blackberry smart phone. Recently, it has announced the purchase of UI developer ‘The Astonishing Tribe’, also known as, TAT, which is expected to bring its user-interface expertise to the BlackBerry operating system and devices including its latest BlackBerry Torch smartphone and forthcoming PlayBook.

RIM Buys TAT: Based in Sweden, TAT has worked with pretty bring names brands Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and, Motorola on UI development and design projects. In fact, TAT actually designed the G1′s Android UI. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. RIM’s David Yach, said in a statement: “We are pleased to confirm plans for The Astonishing Tribe team to join Research In Motion. We’re excited that the TAT team will be joining RIM and bringing their talent to the BlackBerry PlayBook and smart phone platforms.” He also added, “TAT is renowned for [its] innovative mobile user interface designs and has a long history of working with mobile and embedded technology.”

RIM’s Competition with iPhone & Android: RIM was seen as taking a step closer to competing with the iPhone and Android in that respect with BlackBerry 6, the latest version of its OS launched with the BlackBerry Torch in August. The PlayBook, expected to launch in early 2011, will run the latest BlackBerry Tablet OS, which RIM has said it will eventually replace the current smartphone operating system as well. The tablet platform is built on technology from QNX Software Systems, which RIM acquired earlier this year and makes software used in everything from air traffic control systems to in-dash radios.

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