Facebook Buys Parse For Mobile App Acceleration

Facebook has this week been noted for its purchase of Parse. The Parse software application development platform is known for its "premium" application development tools and services.

Parse has only been around since 2011, but since that time the firm has become known for its support of cloud-based data storage services — there are also identity management services as well as log-in tools and push notifications, social interactions, and custom code functionality.

NOTE: Cross-platform compatibility here includes Apple iOS and OS X, Android, Windows 8, and JavaScript.

The basic Parse service set is free but a Pro version also exists with a gateway to more than 60,000 apps. Facebook is thought to be moving to offer Parse services alongside the core Facebook Platform APIs and developer tools as they exist today.

"By making Parse a part of Facebook Platform, we want to enable developers to rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices," said Douglas Purdy, Facebook's director of product management. "Parse makes this possible by allowing developers to work with native objects that provide backend services for data storage, notifications, user management, and more. This removes the need to manage servers and a complex infrastructure, so you can simply focus on building great user experiences."

Parse CEO Ilya Sukhar has confirmed that the core repository of Parse apps will not be affected at all in light of the news of this acquisition — also, Parse apps are not necessarily required to integrate with and accommodate for the existence of Facebook functionality.