I wondered the same. Wikipedia page sums it up:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Parse_%28company%29" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Parse_%28company%29</a><p>&quot;...back-end tools for mobile developers that help mobile developers store data in the cloud, manage identity log-ins, handle push notifications and run custom code in the cloud.&quot;<p>AFAICT, it was doing all the mundane work you need to get a modern mobile app up and running. So, developers could concentrate on the business logic of their application and leave the rest to Parse.