Test Management Featured Article

The apps we have come to rely on in everyday life have great bearing on our ability to be successful, both professionally and personally. The same apps that manage our calendars for the soccer team also help us arrive at a client site on time. When these applications are supported by internal programs to keep the business running smoothly, you can focus on the task at hand.

For this to be your reality, test management has to be a priority for software developers and IT managers. The former has to protect its place in the market and the latter has to keep employees connected. With that in mind, testing has to be done not just in the lab, but also in the field. This concept is leading initiatives for uTest as the company announces the re-launch of its Applause.

The focus for uTest is now the offering of in-the-wild testing for products to enable developers to maximize app quality across a variety of factors. Expanding this initiative even further, the company has also acquired Testhub, a German crowd-testing company. Testhub will become the base of operations for Applause in Europe, taking on the name Applause AE.

This growth is significant for those who rely on proper performance on a daily basis while in the field. It’s one thing to ensure test management is in place while in the lab. While all conditions are controlled, you can better determine outcomes. As real-world activity is rarely ideal and the time the application is needed the most is the time it would be worst for it to fail, it has to be able to live up to its promises.

As a result, Applause can ensure the solutions users rely on during a busy day are testing according to those parameters. Test management goes beyond the functional level to one where it has to stand the challenges presented on a consistent basis. Additional focus that lends benefit includes localization testing, usability of the software and load and security testing for the privacy of the consumer and the protection of the network.

Such testing must be in place if new innovations are to deliver on the promised value. The user experience will dictate whether or not web, mobile and wearable applications are successful in the mainstream. Without test management in real-world scenarios, the user is fed nothing more than marketing propaganda. While such information is important at the onset, it is performance that will make or break the long-term opportunities.