RIM buys mobile app testing platform tinyHippos

CHICAGO, USA: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion says it has bought Ontario-based startup tinyHippos Inc, creator of Ripple, a cross-platform mobile application development and testing tool.

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The company was acquired for its "extensive experience in web and mobile widget/web development," Tyler Lessard, RIM's vice president of global alliances and developer relations, said on the developer's blog on Friday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition comes as RIM prepares to launch its Playbook tablet computer next month, entering an increasingly crowded market dominated by Apple's iPad and various devices running on Google's Android platform.

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RIM has said it would offer support for Android apps on its tablet, potentially enabling it to carry more than 200,000 of the third-party software additions available on the platform.

RIM reported a higher-than-forecast fourth-quarter profit on Thursday but warned that its earnings would slip as it pumped money into the launch of the Playbook.