In software development, we often use terminology that makes sense to us but doesn’t have much meaning to anyone in other fields. A name that often elicits quizzical looks is the term “backend.” 

You are probably most familiar with interacting with the “frontend” or presentation layer in software. Frontend technology generally enables what you see daily interacting with websites, mobile apps, and any other software interface. 

What are backend services, and why should you care? Backends are the invisible elements that power software applications. The backend is a data access layer that powers the presentation layer (frontend). 

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