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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