Importance of Testing Applications across Devices & Browsers

If you are aiming at winning the hearts of your customers with the software you have developed, the safest way to do so is by implementing software testing procedure on the same so as to detect the probable bugs and glitches and rectify them.

Since it was discovered, technology has always been a blessing to mankind. With its advancement, it has offered people with ample choice or both devices and browsers through which they can access and utilize a particular app according to their convenience. This has made cross browser and device testing of application an absolute must part of the whole software testing process in order to make sure that the developed application works equally well in all the browsers or devices. This in turn ensures satisfaction of the customers.

When you are developing an application, your target should be to provide your customers with the best possible performance along with awesome security system, so that your customers are head over heels in love with your application. This can be done only by testing the application’s performance in various kinds of devices and browsers which are majorly used by the real time users. Although there are multiple tools available for cross device or browser testing, yet it is better to test them manually because these tools though can perform test in multiple browser or device simultaneously, tends to treat all of them in similar manner, which is not needed at times. While testing the apps manually, you can take into consideration the uniqueness of each of the devices and browsers along with your app and the parts of it to check if they are compatible with each other or not so that you can tweak it accordingly.

Features like Applets, JavaScript, Flash, AJAX requests and more are what contribute to making a browser different from the second one, similar is the cases with the devices that are used. This uniqueness of the devices and browsers makes the application you have developed perform in different ways in different browsers or devices producing varying outcomes. However, it is desirable that your application will perform equally in all the devices or browsers, without any discrimination so that your customers are given ample choices to choose from and also so that you get a customer base. This is what makes testing applications across devices and browsers very important so that your customers do not have to suffer due to their choice of browsers or devices and so that you do not have to suffer the consequences of their choice by compromising on the popularity of your application.

It is quite obvious that you will target the majority while you are developing applications to be launched. This is why it is but natural that you will focus more on the most popular browsers and apps while you are testing your application for its performance in cross browsers and devices in order to make sure that your app and all its parts provides equally awesome performance and security service in all of them. However, it won’t be very wise to neglect the less used counterparts completely. Also while you are manually testing your application, take the various operating systems of the devices into consideration along with the built and other aspects so as to ensure all round performance of it.

So that’s a gist of the importance of testing applications across devices and browsers. We hope to have made you realize the need for the process in order to make your app popular and wanted among customers.

Internet of Things and Its Impact on Software Testing Industry

As a network of physical objects, Internet of Things (IoT) enables a wide variety of devices to collect and exchange data through sensors, software applications, and network connections. The environment provides each device with a unique identifier, and allows various devices to collect and exchange data over a network through machine-to-machine interaction. The machine-to-machine communication will make the devices both smart and complex. Also, the interaction will have a huge impact on the software testing industry as most devices will use specialized software applications and tools to collect and exchange data with each other.

Assessing Major Impacts of Internet of Things on Software Testing

Strong Testing Strategy

The conventional software testing strategies normally focus on specific devices, operating systems and web browsers.  But businesses have to focus on embedded software while making strategy to test IoT applications.  They have to ensure that all aspects of the application are tested thoroughly and in many environments. At the same time, the testing strategy must emphasis on unit testing, continuous integration, clear requirements, complete test coverage, lean test plans, detailed user stories, and informative test reports. The conventional testing strategies have to be completely revamped to deliver a flawless IoT application. 

Emphasis on Cloud-based Applications

The devices will communicate with each other over the internet, and through software applications and sensors. Most devices in future will be designed with sensors. In addition to making it smarter, the sensor will further enable the device to gather, measure, and analyze data. But the sensors are completely different from conventional machines. The enterprises have to build the right infrastructure to leverage the information collected through sensors. Many businesses will soon rely on cloud-based applications to interpret and exchange the data collected by sensors. So IoT will require testers to assess a variety of cloud-based applications to check the effectiveness of sensors and embedded software.    

Focus on Usability, Performance and Security Testing

IoT will make it essential for enterprises to emphasis on usability, performance and security testing of IoT applications. Normally, the next generation applications will sport a minimal design, with smaller controls or buttons. So the testers must perform usability testing to ensure that the users can operate the device in a quick and convenient way. Likewise, the testers have to perform elaborate performance testing to assess the application’s performance under varying internet connections. As the application will gather and exchange data over the internet, the testers need to ensure that it detects, collects and stores data despite disruptive internet connection. At the same time,   the professionals also need to perform security testing to protect the IoT environment from various security threats. The security testing will include emphasis on assessing the strength of passwords and effectiveness of encryption techniques.

Test Automation becomes Essential

The QA professionals have to perform a variety of tests to assess the functionality and performance of an IoT application accurately. They also need to repeat certain tests to assess the application under different conditions or based on various parameters. So enterprises have to automate the manual testing efforts to increase test coverage and complete all required tests within a shorter amount of time. The test automation tools will further help users to evaluate code coverage and interoperability of devices without putting any extra time and effort. Likewise, the emulators and simulators will help the enterprise to test IoT applications across many devices without investing in real devices and hardware.

Need for New Testing Tools and Frameworks

The businesses cannot rely on conventional software testing tools and frameworks to test applications accurately in the IoT environment. They will need test automation tools designed specifically for testing sensors, cloud-based applications, and embedded systems. Likewise, they will also need tools to assess the application’s performance across many devices, platforms and networks. The managers will also be required to pick the right test automation tools to assess custom and complex IoT applications.  Many companies are expected to launch specialized test automation tools by targeting the IoT environment.

On the whole, businesses have to explore innovative ways to test software applications developed for the Internet of Things environment. Also, the testers will need advanced and customized tools to assess effectiveness of the software application to facilitate communication and data exchange between a variety of devices.