Facebook acquires Parse, an app-support company, for $85 million

Facebook, citing efforts to make it easier for app developers to integrate their services with the social network, said it is acquiring Parse, an app-support software company.

Facebook did not disclose how much it paid for Parse, but a report by the Wall Street Journal says the Menlo Park, Calif., company paid $85 million. Facebook said it was not disclosing the terms of the deal.

The company said it is not doing an “acqui-hire” and intends to have Parse keep operating and serving its existing customers. In an “acqui-hire” the employees are kept but the company is dissolved.

PHOTOS: Top 10 must-have smartphone apps“By making Parse a part of Facebook Platform, we want to enable developers to rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices,” the company said in a blog.

In a separate blog post, Parse Chief Executive Ilya Sukhar said the acquisition would enable the San Francisco start-up to improve its services.

“Rest assured, Parse is not going away. It’s going to get better,” Sukhar said.

In its report of the deal, the Wall Street Journal said multiple companies were considering purchasing Parse, including Dropbox, Google and Yahoo.

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