Facebook's Parse expands Internet of Things reach with Intel, others

Parse, the Facebook-owned mobile app development platform, has unveiled a catalog of new software development kits (SDKs) aimed to serve more connected devices and hardware platforms.

Built especially with the Internet of Things in mind, Parse's expanded SDK portfolio now includes entries specifically lined up for hardware and chips from Atmel, Broadcom, Intel, and Texas Instruments.

The Parse team suggested in a blog post on Thursday that these SDKs could be put to work on developing anything from "a garage hacker's weekend project to a production-ready connected product, manufactured at scale."

Parse unveiled some new SDKs during Facebook's annual F8 developer summit in San Francisco in March, feeding into the blossoming Internet of Things movement by enabling developers to integrate data from Internet-connected devices within their applications.

Amid open sourcing all of its SDKs last month, Parse boasted at the time that its SDKs already powered more than 800 million active app-device pairs.

Facebook acquired Parse, previously a small startup with a cloud-based platform of scalable cross-platform services and tools for developers, in April 2013 for an undisclosed sum. The Parse deal came with tools designed for development on iOS and Android devices.

Since then, Facebook engineers have elaborated how Parse fits into the company's platform, bolstering the world's largest social network for more third-party apps and B2B clientele -- not to mention more data.

By May 2014, the Parse team expanded their footprint to London to support the growing developer community using the service in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The department has undergone a few leadership changes -- most recently losing founder and CEO Ilya Sukhar, who confirmed his departure via Twitter but did not divulge a reason. He is currently serving as a part-time partner at the prominent startup seed fund Y Combinator.