According to reports, Research in Motion, which makes BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, has acquired Irish software firm NewBay for $100 million.

The Irish Times reports that NewBay staff were informed about the deal yesterday, and that “It is understood that RIM intends to keep NewBay’s software development centre in Dublin, which employs about 200 staff. It will be the first facility for the Canadian firm in Ireland.”

Here’s a quick look at some of the products NewBay offers (via the company site):

NewBay calls itself a “leader in digital content services, enabling operators and device makers to deliver a lifetime of content experiences across connected devices such as mobile, PCs, tablets and TVs.”

In other words, it sounds like a sensible acquisition for RIM as it struggles to compete with Apple and Google.