RIM Acquires mobile UI designer TAT
RIM’s CTOD David Yach today announced in the Blackberry blog that UI designer TAT (The Astonishing Tribe) will join Research in Motion’s lines to develop BB PlayBook and its other mobile platforms.
“Today we are pleased to confirm plans for The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) team to join Research In Motion (RIM)… 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”
The addition of TAT to RIM means that the mobile maker is very eager to enhance its products’ user experiences and seems to be more serious about software. That may be a key step towards increasing the company’s not exactly competitive hold on the tablet market.
RIM is not the only one pushing forwardon the software development front, as SiliconANGLE covered Motorola’s acquisition of 4Home, a software and services platforms developer. This move follows the company’s acquisition of Aloqa, a location-based search tool, as Motorola is obviously also heading into software development.
Going back to RIM, it has taken a not-so-slightly stubborn approach to its overall user experience. RIM took BBM-competing app Kik to court because alleged patent infringement and banned the app from the BlackBerry AppWorld. One can only hope they won’t do the same with TAT, who may just provide the mobile maker an opportunity to revive its somewhat outdated platform.
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