Finally. I actually feel compelled to say hooray. Especially after my last post about mobile browser-based apps, its nice to see this little announcement: RIM has acquired Torch Mobile, a WebKit browser developer for an undisclosed amount.

This move is a sure bet that the native Blackberry browser will finally be getting a much-need upgrade. BB users will be getting a better web browsing experience, which, depending on the model, was historically mediocre at best. But I think what’s more interesting is that the mobile browser as a platform is starting to see some solid standardization. With RIM now jumping on the WebKit bandwagon, all major smartphone platforms are on the same page. This means that developers can count on a more uniform experience across devices and that the idea of build once, deploy everywhere perhaps might come true.