What are the Upcoming Testing Challenges for IoT?

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Okay! It is high time we face the fact that the world is majorly running on mobile devices in the current days. Along with the boom in the field of mobile devices, there has been (obviously!) a boost in the mobile app development which is closely followed by the development of IoT. Soon the world will come to a situation where all things like cars, entertainment devices, transport systems,  robots, HVAC systems, computers, wearable, etc. and things that, till date, have not had electronics until we put it in them e.g., shoes, hardcopy paper, clothes, furniture, pets, back-of-your-neck, etc. will be provided with IP addressed devices.

So what is this so talked about IoT? IoT or Internet of Things, is the basically nothing but the physical objects or “things” to which electronics, software, network connectivity, and sensors have been integrated, to create a network, so as to give them the power to exchange data among each other.

Now, coming to the point! Like all new kids on the block, IoT too has to face many challenges and barriers before it can become successful and hugely popular. Following are some of the major upcoming challenges faced by the QA team while testing IoT.

1. Cost: Multiple devices means all of them have to be brought together in testing environment and a multi tier environment has to be created. This becomes a very costly affair and requires huge efforts to be recreated.
2. Interrelated Systems: The subsystems, sub-components, and services are all interrelated for proper functioning of the IoT and are usually controlled by third party. If the testers are unable to reach any one of the systems, the whole software testing procedure fails and hence is a huge challenge for the QA team.
3. Multiple Teams: Multiple devices results in multiple fields of specializations which in turn requires multiple teams who are specialized in respective field to work simultaneously on the testing task.
4. Testing Tools: IoT is comparatively new. Hence, the testing tools of the system are not well developed which makes it difficult for the testers to perform the procedures due to the inadequacy.
5. Sensor quality and Accuracy: When multiple devices are involved, it is obvious that all will not be of the same quality which makes testing of the various IoT devices quite troublesome.
6. Compatibility Issues: There will be many devices which are unique in their own way with their own functionality which make them hugely different from the other. Hence compatibility of the different devices will be challenging.
7. Complexity: With the multi tier devices as well as software, complexities are pretty common to occur when all the devices are to be integrated together to form one large device of many parts.
8. Connectivity Issues: All the systems need to be connected well with each other for proper functioning.
9. Power Problems: When so many physical objects are running together in an integrated manner, power is obviously a huge issue.
10. Security / Privacy Issues: IoT operates through remote sensors which increase the chances of breaching privacy or security a lot easier. This will be one of the major upcoming problems for the testers.
11. Safety Concerns: The IoT is integrating many devices together which open up further chances of entry points by malwares. The increase in the layer of the software in turn increases the complexities of safety issues.

These are some of the most sought after challenges in the field of IoT testing which needs to be attended at once for proper development of the same.