#CMMI level 2 manual

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

Regression Testing: A bridge between new changes and old features

To remain competitive, companies need to reinvent their products with new features and functionalities from time to time. It is observed that the end consumers are wont to change their preferences for products based on factors like new features, faster loading, cost, and seamless functioning. Hence, the incorporation of the above-mentioned factors can increase the adaptability of the software applications to their end customers. However, the newly added features or changes can trigger changes in the old features, which if not addressed, can impact the user experience adversely. This is where regression testing comes into play, wherein the functioning of the existing or old features is tested. It ensures that the new code additions do not render the existing functions infructuous. A well-planned regression testing strategy investigates the bugs that might creep into any new build inadvertently, while making sure that the previous ones are eliminated.

Remember, any change in a software application can cause unforeseen consequences, thus, adversely affecting the user experience. These unforeseen consequences or side-effects aka regressions can appear in components, features, functionalities, and systems that are not part of the software changes. A regression testing exercise flags such regressions or changes and helps the QA team to:

·  Identify and fix the inherent or newly-introduced glitches into the existing system because of the new build.

·  Boost the performance of the software application.

·  Look into any changes to the hosting environment.

Regression testing can be executed during any of the below mentioned QA tests –

·  Unit Test: In this type of QA testing, the smallest testable components of any application aka units are tested to check if they are performing as expected. Any glitch in the individual components can have a cascading effect on the whole software when the same gets integrated.

·  Integration test: This is unlike the unit test where the integrated groups (a combination of units) or modules of an application are tested in various ways.

·   System test: This follows up from integration testing where the performance and functioning of various components are tested to check how they interact with each other as part of an integrated system.

·    Acceptance test: Since every application needs validation on the litmus test of user acceptability, the acceptance test finds out the degree to which the application addresses the user requirements and gets their approval. This type of testing is named as beta testing, field testing, end-user testing, or application testing.

Therefore, regression testing in software testing usually takes place at the end of each test cycle. Importantly, it includes unit regression testing where each unit code is validated by rerunning the unit tests. Since regression testing can be repetitive and time consuming, it is often automated to reduce the execution time and free up the testers for other important tasks.

When do you execute a regression testing strategy?

Whenever a software application is modified by adding, changing, or removing features or functionalities, regression testing is needed to be carried out. Let us understand the same with the following examples.

Addition of new functionalities:  A software application allows a user to login using their email credentials. However, a new functionality is added wherein the login can be executed using Facebook as well. Here, regression testing would check if the old functionality of logging in with email is working or not.

Any Change Requirement (CR) is implemented: The password option is removed from the login page to facilitate quicker login.

Fixing a defect: In case the login button develops a glitch and is fixed by the developers, the QA team should perform an automated regression testing to check the fixed login button and other associated functionalities are performing as expected.

Fixing a performance issue: In case a slow loading software application is fixed, reducing the load speed from, say, 5 seconds to 2 seconds. So, when the code changes are made to reduce the loading speed, some glitches may enter or old functionalities might get affected. This is where regression testing services can execute the test and pre-empt any glitch from affecting the performance of the application.

Change in the framework or environment: If the database is updated from MySQL to Oracle, the resultant code changes need to be validated to prevent any unforeseen consequences.

How to go about executing regression testing – manual or automation?

Given the tedium and complexity of such tests, they need to be automated. Since these tests are needed to be executed after every build or deployment, they should be automated to save time and effort. Moreover, running thousands of test cases manually would be practically impossible and can lead to several glitches remaining unchecked.

How to strategize a sound regression testing methodology

The success of any product change depends on the success of its regression testing. Let us find out the steps that QA experts should take in executing a sound regression testing strategy.

·    Monitor any changes in the test cases, which are based on the modifications done on the software application.

·    Analyze the changes (if any) and their impact on the components.

·    Identify the risk prone areas in the test cases.

·    Set priority for the test cases. Select the right automation tool and test environment.

·    Automate test cases and set them for testing.

·    Keep the test suite with the latest test cases. Remove the redundant ones.

·    Execute the tests for different scenarios and dependencies.

Conclusion

Any successful regression testing ensures a software application runs all guns blazing, especially on parameters like speed, accuracy, security, efficiency, and performance. The testing should not be an afterthought but put into practice the moment any new build is initiated.

Check out this case study to find out how Automated Regression Testing helps in the healthcare sector to reduce its Maintenance Costs significantly.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, Global Leaders in Independent Quality Engineering & Software Testing Services to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[theqamentor-blog]

Top 25 Software Testing Companies in the World Today

In today’s increasingly digital world, you’ve to provide top-notch software products in order to rise above the competition. To attain this, it’s imperative to have a top software testing service in place that can ensure the quality and performance of your products. Having your own testing team not only needs you to spend thousands of dollars but it also requires a lot of management to ensure smooth operations. In this scenario, hiring a reputable software testing company seems like your best bet in all aspects.

If you’re looking to hire such a company that would help you to come up with top-notch software products, here is a comprehensive list of twenty-five top companies that are creating a huge buzz in the present landscape of software testing.

1. QA Mentor

QA Mentor is a global leader in the software testing and quality assurance landscape with having served hundreds of clients spread across the globe. Headquartered in New York, this is a multi-awards winner ISO 27001:2013, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 20000:1 certified and CMMI Level 3 SVC + SSD v1.3 appraised software testing company with a team of hundreds of certified QA professionals spread across eight different countries offering over thirty QA testing services across all time zones.

Founded: 2010

Location: United States

Services: Unique QA Services, Core QA Services, Strategic QA Services, On-Demand QA Services, BPM Services, Automation QA Services

URL: https://www.qamentor.com/

2. Qualitest

An independent testing solutions and quality assurance service provider, Qualitest offers outstanding solutions to help its clients meet industry-specific technology requirements. With the help of its innovative AI TestPredictor, the company offers targeted analytics for risk-oriented decision-making for complex testing environments. In order to be able to offer world-class testing services, Qualitest leverages its expertise across a wide range of domains including technology, gaming, financial, media, insurance, entertainment, and many more.

Founded: 2015

Location: United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Romania, Ireland, India, Israel, Turkey

Services: All types of Testing Services

URL: https://qualitestgroup.com/

3. TestMatick

With more than twenty types of QA services on offer and a huge number of satisfied customers, TestMatick is one of the leading names in the software testing service landscape. It can be considered a one-stop-shop in terms of hiring quality assurance services as TestMatick caters to literally every requirement in the QA domain, eliminating the need for hiring any other software testing company. Another notable thing about TestMatick is that its robust team of test engineers is capable of starting any testing project, regardless of its complexity, with twenty-four hours.

Founded: 2009

Location: United States, Ukraine

Services: Automated, Functional, Mobile, UI, Usability, Multi-Platform, Localization, Technical, Installation, Cross Browser, Exploratory, Game, Load, Regression, E-commerce, SEO, Web Application, Security Testing Services

URL: https://testmatick.com/

4. ScienceSoft

With thirty years of industry experience, ScienceSoft offers full-cycle QA services and software testing to help its clients come up with high-quality products. Its ISTQB-certified professionals perform quality assessments for a diverse range of industries including banking, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and more. Having completed more than 400 projects successfully, ScienceSoft has earned a huge recognition from its clients as a reliable QA partner.

Founded: 1989

Location: United States

Services: QA consulting, QA managed services, Performance Testing, Functional Testing, Compatibility Testing, Usability Testing, Automated Testing, Security Testing, Data Warehouse Testing, Mobile and Web application testing.

URL: https://www.scnsoft.com/services/software-testing

5. Testrig Technologies

A relatively new entrant in the software testing landscape, Testrig Technologies offers independent QA services for a wide range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises, across the globe. It offers complete testing solutions to help clients come up with top-quality products at highly competitive prices.

Founded: 2015

Location: India

Services: Mobile Testing, Web Application Testing, Automation Testing, Usability Testing, Performance Testing, Security Testing, Regression Testing.

URL: https://www.testrigtechnologies.com/

6. DeviQA

One of the most prominent names in the field of software quality assurance and testing, DeviQA offers a different approach to quality assurance out staffing and outsourcing. With core principles like expertise, reliability, and efficiency, the company has served more than 300 happy clients during their 10+ years of journey. Apart from offering excellent QA services, DeviQA takes special care of the privacy and security of all intellectual property and data storage of their clients.

Founded: 2010

Location: United States

Services: Web Testing, Mobile Testing, Automated Testing, Mobile Automation Testing, Performance Testing, Software Testing Consultancy

URL: https://www.deviqa.com/

7. A1QA

One of the oldest companies in the software testing landscape, A1QA comes with a huge experience of completing more than 1500 of projects successfully for their customers spread across the globe. It’s a full-cycle testing company with an extremely proficient team of more than 700 QA engineers and testers spread across ten centers across the globe. This all-rounder company is well-known for offering a set of incredible services to ensure memorable and positive user experience.

Founded: 2002

Location: United States (headquarters) with offices in Eastern Europe, the UK, and the Netherlands

Services: Performance, Security, Functional, Usability, Compatibility, and Localization Testing for web and mobile applications

URL: https://www.a1qa.com/

8. QualityLogic

One of the most respected and experienced companies in the field of software testing and quality assurance, QualityLogic works primarily with mid-market and enterprise clients. It was able to secure a place in the top ten software testing provider in the annual Global Leaders List created by Clutch, which reflects its industry expertise, ability to deliver outstanding results, and satisfied clients. With its key focus on scalability, affordability, flexibility, and guaranteed performance, QualityLogic offers a wide range of QA services.

Founded:1986

Location: United States

Services: Interoperability Testing, Functional Testing, Accessibility Testing, Usability Testing, Regression Testing, Test Automation Services, Exploratory Testing, QA Test Tools, Agile QA, Load & Performance Testing, Test & Technology Training

URL: https://www.qualitylogic.com/

9. UTOR

A Ukrainian application QA and application testing company, UTOR is a relatively new entrant in the field. With a small yet highly efficient team, the company works with both small and large businesses in the advertising and marketing, financial services, and education sectors. With the help of its easily managed QA team and ability to support agile development environment, UTOR is an ideal testing service provider for those looking to release outstanding products in a cost-effective manner.

Founded: 2016

Location: Ukraine

Services: Manual Testing, Automation Testing, Performance Testing, QA team setup, Testing out staffing, Application checking

URL: https://u-tor.com/

10. SQA Canada

One of the prominent names in the field, SQA Canada offers a wide range of SQA (software quality assurance) services, from software consulting to business solutions testing. With the help of its centralized QA infrastructure, the company performs different kinds of testing on-demand utilizing a single knowledgebase. Those looking for high-value, affordable, and exemplary solutions in QA would find SQA Canada extremely helpful.

Founded: 2006

Location: Canada

Services: Application Testing, Automation Testing, Quality Assurance & Porting, Training Services, Augmentation Services

URL: http://www.sqacanada.ca/

11. ClicQA

An independent software testing company, ClicQA offers a wide range of testing services to some of the most important industries like financial services, banking, insurance, healthcare, retail, logistics, and more. With the help of domain knowledge obtained through years of prominent existence and outstanding testing skills, the company offers a client-centric approach for its software testing services.

Founded: 2016

Location: United States, United Kingdom, and India

Services: Automation Testing, Functional Testing, Performance Engineering, Performance Testing, Security Testing

URL: https://www.clicqa.com/

12. QA Madness

Founded by skilled professionals, QA Madness uses an excellent lineup of advanced testing technologies to help its clients to release top-quality software products. With an outstanding portfolio of having delivered 3260 web projects and 815 mobile projects successfully during its more than a decade of working, skills of the team of QA Madness regarding testing of any project while staying on-budget and on-time need no separate introduction.

Founded: 2008

Location: Ukraine, Lithuania

Services: Automated Testing, Manual Testing, Mobile Application Testing, Web Application Testing, Desktop App Testing, Wearables Testing, QA audit & consulting, Testing documentation

URL: https://www.qamadness.com/

13. QATestLab

One of the leading outsourcing software testing companies, QATestLab offers a complete range of software testing services. With the help of up-to-date tools and technologies coupled with the expertise of its team of professional testers, the company offers high-quality testing services on budget and on time. With the convenience of having its own training center, QATestLab can promptly start any testing project, regardless of its complexity.

Founded: 2005

Location: Ukraine

Services: Test Automation, Manual Testing, Test Documentation, Test Management, Consulting, Quality Assurance

URL: https://qatestlab.com/

14. TestFort

One of the fastest-growing software testing services providers, TestFort offers full-cycle testing services. Its commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards is proven as TestFortreceived the nomination for European Software Testing Award 2018. With four R&D offices and three business models of cooperation, the company has delivered hundreds of successful projects for its global clientele. The team boasts of highly efficient QA engineers with expertise in automated and manual testing services for a wide range of solutions.

Founded: 2001

Location: Ukraine

Services: Functionality Testing, Usability Testing, Performance Testing, Compatibility Testing, Security Testing, IoT Testing, QA Consulting, QA Outsourcing

URL: https://testfort.com/

15. XBOSoft

One of the top-rated software testing and quality assurance service providers in the country, XBOSoft comes up with strategies to help their clients transform their software quality management processes. With the help of the deep technical expertise of its team regarding working with any medium, framework, or platform, the company is able to deliver software quality processes designed to provide its clients with confidence in every step they take.

Founded: 2007

Location: United States

Services: Agile Testing, Functional Testing, Test Automation, Performance Testing, Security Testing, Localization Testing, Usability Testing.

URL: https://xbosoft.com/

16. QA Consultants

One of the oldest in the world and claiming to be the largest software testing company in North America, QA Consultants has helped a huge number of businesses across a wide range of industries including banking and financial, automotive, digital marketing, construction and industrial, hospitality and tourism, media and entertainment, and many more. It offers different models of engagement to cater to the varied needs of the clients.

Founded: 1994

Location: Canada

Services: Test Automation, Functional Testing, Performance Testing, Integration Testing, Security Testing, Mobile Testing, Data Testing, Specialized Audit

URL: https://qaconsultants.com/

17. Ubertesters

Specialized in application testing, Ubertesters also offers cloud consulting and application management and support. It offers a powerful testing platform that helps clients manage their mobile QA processes effectively. It comes with everything needed by the agile teams to perform end-to-end management. With the help of its experience, professional testers, Ubertesters is able to offer testing services for apps on all platform, types of devices, carriers, and locations to ensure their quality.

Founded: 2012

Location: United States, Ukraine

Services: Localization Testing, Usability Testing, Functional Testing, Enterprise App Testing

URL: https://ubertesters.com/

18. Spiral QA

One of the prominent names in the software testing landscape, Spiral QA offers software testing and quality assurance services to help its clients develop better and more user-friendly mobile apps, web applications, e-commerce websites, among others. With the help of its dedicated and passionate team of highly efficient quality assurance professionals, Spiral QA offers services to cover different layers of testing to fit any project, regardless of its size. Its clientele includes a wide variety of companies across different domains including eLearning, ed-tech, e-commerce, among others.

Founded: 2009

Location: United States, Belarus

Services: Mobile App Testing, Web Application Testing, Usability Testing, Functional Testing, Performance Testing, Compatibility Testing, Maintenance Testing, Regression Testing.

URL: https://qualityassurancetesting.us/

19. MeU-Solutions

A relatively new entrant in the field, MeU-Solutions offers specialized application testing services together with e-commerce development, cybersecurity, and custom software development. The company has designed a service called One Secure to offer a systematic approach to help its clients assess their infrastructure and web applications in an effort to uncover any risks they might be unaware of. Those looking to get high-quality services at competitive prices would find MeU-Solutions useful.

Founded: 2016

Location: Vietnam

Services: Shift-Right Testing, Managed Testing, Automation Testing, Manual Testing, Agile Testing, Security Testing, Mobile Testing, 1Secure Service

URL: https://meu-solutions.com/

20. KiwiQA

One of the pioneering software testing and quality assurance companies, KiwiQA is known for its unmatched efficiency and a wide range of software testing services. Right from specialized testing to custom validation, the company is aimed at helping the clients deliver optimally performing and flawless software products. With the help of reusable test cases and automation expertise coupled with the finest quality testing frameworks, KiwiQA delivers world-class testing services in accordance with current testing trends.

Founded: 2009

Location: Australia, India, Norway

Services: Performance Testing, Automation Testing, Code Verification, Mobile Testing, Manual Testing, Security Testing

URL: https://www.kiwiqa.com/

21. TestArmy

TestArmy belongs to the league of software testing companies that offer performance, functional, and security testing of digital products, including the Internet of Things and virtual reality. With the help of their testing veterans, the company is able to join its client’s team to create a cohesive unit to make their job easier. TestArmy also offers quality assurance consulting services to help the clients make the product even better.

Founded: 2010

Location: United States

Services: Interoperability Testing, Functional Testing, Accessibility Testing, Usability Testing, Regression Testing, Test Automation Services, Exploratory Testing, QA Test Tools, Agile QA, Load & Performance Testing, Test & Technology Training

URL: https://testarmy.com/en/

22. ThinkSys

Though ThinkSys started its journey as a quality assurance company, now it has become a full-fledged software company that offers a wide range of services like software development, interactive emails, big data and analytics, cloud computing, DevOps and CI, blockchain, artificial intelligence, apart from its core quality assurance and software testing services. The company uses high-end languages, frameworks, and tools and technologies to offer collaborative and innovative technology solutions.

Founded: 2014

Location: United States, India, Israel

Services: E-commerce Testing, Automation Testing, Localization Testing, Functional Testing, Performance Testing, Mobile Testing, Security Testing, Regression Testing, Usability Testing

URL: https://www.thinksys.com/

23. TestBytes

TestBytes offers comprehensive testing services to help its clients deliver top-quality software products on time. With its processes and methodologies based on Agile, ISO, and CMMI best practices, the company has been able to complete a huge number of projects successfully for a large number of businesses spread across different industries including banking and finance, healthcare, insurance, e-commerce and retail, manufacturing, IT and consulting, media and entertainment, and many more. Most of its team members come with high-end certifications like CSQA, CSTE, ISTQB, and Automation Tools.

Founded: 2011

Location: India

Services: Web Testing, App Testing, Automation Testing, Game Testing

URL: https://www.testbytes.net/

24. NEX Softsys

One of the top fifteen position holders in the popular research and review platform GoodFirms, NEX Softsys offers a wide range of services including software testing, application development, big data solutions, software outsourcing solutions, mobility solutions, offshore development, cloud, and DevOps solutions, IoT solutions. Its expertise and wide-ranging experience in developing software solutions for a significant number of verticals have helped NEX Softsys to become one of the most sought-after software technology services company.

Founded: 2008

Location: United States, India

Services: Manual Testing, Selenium Testing, Web Application Testing, Automated Testing, Desktop App Testing, Mobile Application Testing, QA Consulting

URL: https://www.nexsoftsys.com/

25. OnPath Testing

One of the prominent names in the software testing domain, OnPath Testing offers mobile and web software developers incredibly thorough, competitively priced, and exceptionally flexible quality assurance services with the clients’ specific time and budget constraints. With the simple vision of delivering software that just works, OnPath Testing claims to offer unmatched testing services backed by its flexibility, value, and adaptness.

Founded: 2009

Location: United States

Services: QA Audit, Manual Testing, Automation Testing

URL: https://onpathtesting.com/

Final Thoughts

It has become crucial for businesses to get their products tested before releasing them in the market to thrive and remain competitive. Add to it the increasingly complex nature of IT ecosystems and solutions that considerably increase the risk of shortcomings and issues with a software development lifecycle. In addition, companies sometimes suffer from a wide range of software-related issues – from complicated code issues to small bugs – that may heavily impact the entire business. That’s exactly why businesses need to focus more on their software testing and quality assurance activities to ensure successful product delivery.

In case you’re looking for a software testing company to join hands, pick one from the above ones based on your requirements and preferences to make the software development process hassle-free to a great extent.

[mooreoliver]

Is Selenium still a favorite among QA testers?

As Agile and DevOps methodologies lead the way for enterprises to churn out quality software applications in double-quick time, test automation turns out to be an enabler of sorts. In fact, it has become a means to address challenges attributable to manual testing. However, in doing so, the development and QA teams utilize test automation tools that can be either open-source or licensed. These tools help enterprises to deliver software applications that have higher accuracy and require shorter turnaround time.

With open-source platforms leading the way in the implementation of Agile and DevOps methodologies, let us find out if Selenium, which was the king of automation tools, continues to retain its numero-uno position among the automation tools. In fact, it has been observed that developers and testers are increasingly leveraging Selenium test automation procedures to meet their objectives. The tool offers benefits such as cost-effectiveness, speed, compatibility, and ease of integration, among others. However, today, when the test automation market has seen the presence of new tools, how does Selenium compete now? Where does it stand today is the moot question?

What is Selenium?

Developed by Jason Huggins, Selenium is an open-source test automation tool mainly created to test the Agile and DevOps workflows and web browsers. It comprises a suite of tools catering to the various needs of enterprises. The four such tools are Selenium RC, Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE), Selenium Grid, and Selenium WebDriver. At present, Selenium Grid and WebDriver have been merged into one.

Selenium IDE: Helps to record, playback, debug, and edit test scripts during Selenium automated testing.

Selenium Grid: Facilitates the distribution of tests across browsers and devices, thereby minimizing the test execution period.

Selenium Remote Control: Used to run tests on different browsers and systems.

Selenium WebDriver: The latest version of Selenium possesses a number of Selenium APIs.

Is Selenium still the king?

In the world of software testing where companies are looking at implementing test automation at cost-effective rates, the open-source platform of Selenium backed by a community of developers offers the required benefits. In fact, Selenium test automation is implemented by top companies belonging to domains such as IT, healthcare, financial services, education, computer hardware, and others. The tool, especially Selenium 2 or Selenium WebDriver, covers a global market share of 30.84% leaving behind competitors such as Unified Functional Testing, Apache JMeter, Quality Centre, and others.

If we consider Selenium, the test automation tool per se, it enjoys a dominant market share of 27.4%, which is by far the highest among other solutions in the field. So, when leading companies such as Google and Facebook use Selenium, does it really require validation? Its ease in generating test scripts, validation of functionality, and the reusability of the test scripts in automated testing frameworks make it highly popular among the community of testers.

Why is Selenium automation testing popular?

The features of Selenium make the tool deliver quality assured test outcomes. The reasons why enterprises are adopting the Selenium test automation framework in increasing numbers are as follows:

Support for language and framework: The tool supports major languages such as Java, JavaScript, Python, C#, Perl, and Ruby to write test scripts. The QA specialists can write test automation scripts in any of the programming languages and the tool converts them into Selenium compatible codes. Moreover, the tool offers support for various frameworks like PHPUnit, TestNg, and JUnit etc., to facilitate the writing of test scripts.

Browser compatibility: Selenium offers cross-browser support for Chrome, IE, Firefox, Safari, and others. This helps QA specialists to test whether the codes can run across the above-mentioned browsers seamlessly.

Easy to handle: Selenium has an easy to understand UI that lets testers to type words into specified boxes or click buttons while executing Selenium automation testing. Also, the testers do not need to be well-versed with any specific programming language to use the tool.

Community support: Even though Selenium is an open-source tool, it has a large community base that works towards updating or upgrading the tool constantly. Thus, Selenium can be a highly resourceful tool.

OS compatibility: Selenium is highly portable and supports different operating systems such as Linux, Windows, Mac OS, and others. The testers can write Selenium test automation scripts on any OS platform and execute them on others.

Easy integrations and reusability: Selenium automated testing scripts can be reused and tested on multiple browsers and operating systems. However, it requires integration with add-ons and third-party frameworks to broaden the test coverage area. For example, testers need to integrate it with JUnit and TestNG to generate reports, with LambdaTest to conduct cloud grid testing, and with Sikuli to perform image-based testing.

Almost free: Today when businesses are looking to cut costs to stay competitive, Selenium comes across as a cost-effective test automation platform. It can be downloaded free of cost and applied to test codes that are written in any programming language across multiple browsers and OS platforms.

Conclusion

Even though Selenium may have its can of woes, such as not supporting data-driven tests with manual scripts, among others, its benefits far outweigh the limited shortcomings. With customer experience becoming the sole differentiator for the success of any software application, developers and testers have their task cut out. They need to employ the open-source Selenium test automation tool to achieve business objectives, thereby conferring Selenium as the ‘king of test automation tools.

Author Bio

Oliver has been associated with Cigniti Technologies Ltd as an Associate Manager - Content Marketing, with over 10 years of industry experience as a Content Writer in Software Testing & Quality Assurance industry. Cigniti is a Global Leader in Independent Quality Engineering & Software Testing Services with CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5.

[delectonline12-blog]

What Defines The Perfect IT Solutions Provider

Today, we are the part of a digital revolution, with all sorts of companies going digital at a speed that's in contrast to what we've ever seen before. This phenomenon is referred to as digitization and in fact, it is revolutionizing just how businesses work. With software fast changing manual systems, IT solutions are popular and every business is looking for a great IT Services Durban partner to help them digitize their business.

But, the simple truth is that not all IT answer providers are sane when it comes to abilities, approach, and expertise which makes it be a must that you get a few tips at heart before selecting a Premier IT solutions Durban firm to do business with. Here are some points that can help you get the best IT solutions companies and ensure that you will be in safe hands with regards to software solutions for your company. 1- Experience Across Different Platforms It goes without saying that most computers and systems found in organizations operate on Windows operating system, but Mac pc products also exist, so do another operating system such as Ubuntu and Linux. So, in such a situation, it becomes vitally important for your Online Premier IT Solutions provider to supply support throughout multiple platforms, as well as the capacity for managing as well as configuring your workstations for smooth overall performance. Although some systems provide you with the benefit of being cost-effective, others offer higher degrees of protection. So, your IT solutions partner must have the desired experience to choose which system to work with based on the requirements. 2- Familiarity With The Most Recent Trends In the extremely competitive market, a business needs to design items and solutions that cater to the existing market trends. Therefore, the minimal you could expect from your IT solutions partner is usually to be up to date with all that is new to ensure that you don't need to lose inputs. Your IT partner ought to be interested in all the latest improvements in the tech globe, like the product and software program releases by Google, Apple as well as Microsoft. Not only that, the professionals you want to work with also need to be keen enough to determine if the most recent software on the market can be utilized for the advantage of your business. Is your technology partner acquainted with cloud technology, for example? If they don't know many ideas about Amazon's Apple's iCloud, AWS, and more, just don't think twice before you go the other way. Cloud is another big thing and great IT solutions companies are expert in using cloud technology. 3- Certifications of Quality Certifications of quality certainly are great evidence that the IT solutions company you're working with knows their job perfectly. For starters, whether it's a CMMi Level five company, you can certainly rest assured that they are implementing all the product quality procedures and sticking with the best quality standards. You may also look for SSE certifications amongst others. Conclusion

In addition to the few key factors in the above list, there are various other elements which can be considered, such as for example their set of clientele and their profile of previous work. Also, before you decide to use an IT company, simply research the fields of expertise. In the end, irrespective of their degree of knowledge, what actually matters is if they can offer solutions that focus on the requirements of your business.

[michaelwadetesting]

Check out this checklist for a successful Salesforce Testing

Salesforce is by far one of the most preferred CRM platforms. The popularity of Salesforce as a CRM platform owes mainly to the software’s flexibility, scalability, ease of application and cost effectiveness. Its ability to bring about a seamless integration of different business functions can result in better business intelligence. The best part of using Salesforce is in developing bespoke applications quickly. These applications can help in strengthening the customer interface with an aim to deliver the expected customer experience. This is important to ensure and propogate one’s brand value in the competitive business environment.

So, be it accounts, admin, campaigns, leads, opportunities or contacts, Salesforce integration of applications can do a world of good to the business. However, the pace at which such applications are developed requires the same to be thoroughly tested for bugs or to address the performance issues.

When it comes to testing, carrying out manual testing of applications on Salesforce can lead to issues such as inconsistent monitoring, cost escalation in terms of man hours spent, and lesser test coverage. To get over the shortcomings of manual testing, it is advisable for businesses to go with Salesforce test automation.

At the same time, writing codes for Salesforce automation testing is a skilled task, for any small change to the system would mean writing the corresponding Salesforce test automation code all over again. This complexity can certainly be a deterrent unless appropriate tools to undertake test automation for Salesforce are implemented.

To implement successful Salesforce test automation, these are some key essentials;

#1 Choose the right Salesforce automation testing tool: Salesforce test automation would require use of a code free tool. The focus should be more on using a tool with a point and click interface. There are quite a few Salesforce automation testing tools such as Salesforce Lightning Inspector, Provar and Apex Interactive Debugger, etc. These include features such as flexibility and automatic generation of reports amongst others.

#2 Cover the entire test area: As opposed to manual testing, Salesforce test automation should cover the entire test area with all the positive and negative test cases. Run Salesforce automation testing to include any possible update that the organisation might have undergone since the last test automation for Salesforce. Also, take into account the code lines, for any addition or alteration of these can change test coverage patterns.

#3 Cover all types of test automation for Salesforce: Salesforce automation testing should include a wide range of tests. These can range from functional testing, load testing, and regression testing to security testing and deployment testing. Since each of these tests verify and validate a specific aspect of the application, overlooking one or more can have a significant impact. You can miss out on errors or bugs in the process.

#4 Check for Classes and Controllers: The creation of separate classes and controllers, though important to make the code more flexible and scalable, can make things difficult for portability. This necessitates the use of test code in the original class and controller code to carry out portability.

#5 Focus on Unit Test: If the entire code is tested during test automation for Salesforce, any bug found can be difficult to correct. On the other hand, if a particular subset of a functionality is checked the bugs can be identified and corrected easily. Thus, carrying out a unit test to validate a particular functionality or record against expected outcomes makes the testing process more robust.

#6 Check the code in its entirety: Since a test code for Salesforce test automation can cover a large number records (in hundreds), it is advisable to check the entire code. This should be undertaken to achieve optimization in testing, and even check individual records.

#7 Check for positive tests: Salesforce test automation should check for the expected outcome for all combination of test parameters.

#8 Check for negative tests: Finding negative test results during test automation for Salesforce would mean the presence of bugs. It can result in long term impact on the application and its functioning.

Conclusion

Building an application and integrating the same on Salesforce can enhance the functioning of an organisation. This should be duly followed by Salesforce test automation to obtain optimum results. Salesforce Testing must address some basics ‘dos’ to ensure that the application integrates well with other functions. This will eventually ensure higher RoI.

Michael works for Cigniti Technologies, which is one of the top Independent Software Testing company in the world to be appraised at CMMI-SVC Level 5, and an ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 27001:2013 certified organization.

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Certificationconsultancy.com offer CMMI Level 2 certification document kit for software companies. The appraisal and documents are designed by the experienced consultants, to assist in CMMI implementation & documentation process. Visit their website now!

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6 Best Practices for implementing Test Automation

Automated Software Testing is programmable according to exact testing specifications, enables user environment simulation, simplifies repetition in a cost effective, time saving, resourceful, and highly effective manner. It is superior in regression testing, and effortlessly manages time consuming, and iterative tests in the software development lifecycle. Regression testing zones in on different bugs and categorizes them to deliver superior quality results.

It is often programmed in-house by testing firms to be in sync with precise testing protocols for new software products, and concurrently observes latest security protocols. Additionally, it is super effective in executing Graphical User Interface (GUI) testing. Experts resort to testing the newly developed software product in a simulated user defined environment, which is followed by troubleshooting any bugs in the responsive platform of the GUI.

Functional Test Automation makes this two-fold process fast, seamless and perfect.

Before any software or application is released into production, it has to be tested rigorously. The process which involves software tools to run pre-scripted tests on the target application is referred to as Test Automation. As this method involves a very limited set of scripts, it can simplify the testing process for manufacturers. There are several benefits of Test Automation:

It does not consume as much resources as unit testing

This test can be carried out innumerable times

The Automation tools keep track of every new bug and thus remain upgraded

It can radically improve test results through reruns

Specific user environments can be simulated through well categorized keystrokes and mouse clicks

Instead of manually testing out every user scenario, they can be programmed into a unique software, which can then carry out automated tests on other new software, thus reducing the time and effort involved in the process.

1.      It is better to have a dedicated team

There is a vast difference between manual testing and Test Automation. From the tools used to the time and effort required, Test Automation is a full-fledged responsibility. It is always advisable to build a dedicated team for Test Automation, including one automation architect and several automation engineers working with him or her.

2.      Choose Your Tools practically

Know your company's system and resources inside out. When choosing your testing tool, make sure it runs well with the platform your company usually runs on and that it also integrates well with the resources and framework the test application is based on. This helps keep the costs down and also makes the process seamless and future proof.

3.      Do not rely solely on the Automation Tool

The tools cannot work alone if the testers are not familiar with them. While building a team make sure your testers are acquainted with the way the automation tool is supposed to work. The tools might be incapable of testing complex processes by themselves if the engineers are not skilled enough.

4.      Know the Application Being Tested

It is very important to have a clear knowledge of the application or software you are assessing. This can help you choose the tools so that the tests run effectively. For example, in case of a web application, knowing the browser can be a great time saver; for a desktop application, the programming language is a crucial part, as unsupported tools can lead to undue complications.

5.      Test Automation cannot be 100%

Complete test automation is impossible. The main purpose of Test Automation is to prevent repeated testing for the same thing so that manual testers can save time and effort and instead focus on newer testing scenarios and bugs that automated tests cannot handle.

6.      It is better to avoid GUI Automation when possible

GUI automation can be a tricky process and can be difficult to proceed with, especially at times when the interface has changed. Thus, if it is possible to run a test using an alternate method such as a command line input, GUI automation should be avoided in order to ease the process.

Conclusion

Test automation can be rewarding and can ease the testing process for the entire team. However that can only be the case if a proper strategy is followed. From the tools, infrastructure, to the people handling the test, every bit plays a vital role. Understanding the business objectives of the organization, and knowing the application under test (AUT) can save a lot of time, effort and money.

Michael works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world's first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and an ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 27001:2013 certified organization.

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Global Manager Group has updated and re-launch CMMI Maturity Level 2 documentation kit to deliver best readymade templates to IT organizations that satisfy each and every requirements of CMMI certification.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

Is Selenium dead in the Agile testing scenario?

From the drawing rooms in Singapore to the beaches in Miami and the dorms in Oxford, Netflix serves its huge fan base with minimal interruptions and high-quality videos. This is made possible by a dedicated team of testers and engineers who offer unparalleled customer experiences by imbuing innovations to their agile testing approach. These innovations are implemented thanks to the all powerful open-source Selenium testing framework. The framework helps to address the challenges that are generally associated with the testing of dynamic web browsers or applications. In fact, Selenium acts as the saviour when it comes to the testing of colossal web applications such as Google, Fitbit, Hubspot, and Netflix.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is an open source framework for automated testing that emulates real-time user actions on different web browsers. Since the applications and web interfaces are getting complex over time, the Selenium testing strategy is becoming increasingly relevant and popular as well. It offers a suite of tools to take care of the various testing needs of software applications. Basically, a Selenium suite comprises four different kinds of tools.

1.Selenium RC

2.Selenium IDE

3.Selenium Grid

4.Selenium WebDriver

Today’s digital ecosystem is increasingly using agile application testing to address the inadequacies of manual testing as well as to meet the dynamically changing market requirements. Since this approach gives primacy to automation testing to test applications across the digital touchpoints – browsers, networks, devices, and operating systems, Selenium perfectly fits into the role as the facilitator of agile application testing.

Although this approach has made web testing much easier, the market has seen the advent of various testing tools, which are challenging the hegemony of Selenium. This raises a serious question: Is Selenium still indispensable for agile application testing of browsers or applications? Let us delve into the below mentioned factors to understand.

Needs third-party support

One of the greatest challenges of Selenium is that it needs the support of third-party tools for multi-tab testing, reporting, and scalability:

·         Scalability:

The Selenium testing approach offers the flexibility of running tests on almost any operating system and web browser. However, the number of tests it can run at once is still limited. The speed offered by a Selenium testing strategy depends on the node or hub configurations used by the testers. However, with the help of a cloud-based tool and Selenium grid, the testers can test in parallel.

·         Limited reporting facilities:

While Selenium has increased the capabilities of automated testing, it does not offer much reporting on its own. However, testers can set up an output folder with processes like execution time, pass/fail count and errors, etc. Also, third-party tools like CrossBrowserTesting can capture the screenshots of web browsers and share different reports through integrations like HipChat and Slack.

·         Multi-tab testing:

Multi-tab testing features are available in Selenium but can act as obstacles if testers fail to give the correct commands. For example, if the testers want to open a new tab to perform a specific task without closing the original, they need to go back to the parent tab to control both the tabs. The implementation of the SwitchTo method can help you to deal with such scenarios in web browser testing.

·         Pop Up windows:

Windows-based notifications or pop-ups create several challenges for any Selenium testing strategy. When a prompt or simple confirmation notification pops up during the testing process, it becomes difficult for Selenium to close or accept that notification. However, with the help of the SwitchTo method, these kinds of web-based alerts can easily be handled while keeping the browser in the background.

Challenges of flaky tests:

Selenium can generate flaky tests and timeouts for the testers. To eradicate such issues, the testers have to scrutinize the results properly with a head-on approach.

Mobile testing challenges:

Selenium can act on any web browser or operating system but its capability is very limited when it comes to the mobile testing process. For example, it is easier to test the web version of HubSpot on Safari with the help of Selenium but mobile Safari cannot give you the solution. In this scenario, Appium, a rival of Selenium, can serve the purpose of mobile testing. It is no surprise that developers are utilizing the functionalities of Appium for such mobile testing purposes where Selenium apparently fails.  

Conclusion:

Automation tools like Selenium can encounter several challenges as technologies continue to evolve. However, we cannot deny the fact that Selenium offers us a free open-source environment for agile testing. What would happen if Selenium decides to become a premium paid version? Remember, Selenium is not flawless but certainly helps testers by reducing the effort of manual testing. It still provides opportunities that are aligned with today’s testing narrative such as faster delivery, receiving instant feedback and offering small sections to handle. Hence, Selenium cannot go out of reckoning in an Agile testing scenario.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, Global Leaders in Independent Quality Engineering & Software Testing Services to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

What mistakes can lead to the failure of your Software Test Automation Strategy?

Software test automation has been adopted by businesses to address the changing dynamics of the digital environment. It aims at hastening the software development process and securing for the end user, a rewarding experience. Furthermore, it helps both the testers and developers to identify and eliminate bugs not to speak of executing a speedy validation of the features and functionalities of the software. Even though your test automation strategy is capable of delivering goods aligned to your business objectives, it can go horribly wrong as well.

Although achieving short term success is commonplace, software testing automation can hit a roadblock when used for a longer period. To ensure the testing phase goes off uninterrupted and delivers the expected results, it is better to avoid a few mistakes.

Let us understand the mistakes, challenges, and expectations that businesses often ignore for reasons of expediency – deliver more number of software within short turnarounds.  

#1. Mismatch in expectations and reality: Software automation tools are expected to be all-encompassing and magic bullets to identify and eliminate all types of glitches. However, this approach is not proper as each tool comes with a specific configuration, functionality and capability. We need to think differently instead of keeping unrealistic expectations like everything will be done at the click of a button, or go for automating the entire testing process, and secure ROI.

As any software comprises numerous digital elements and touchpoints with each requiring validation, testing too should come with a lot of forethought. Find out if the automation testing tool can conduct robust testing across environments. Moreover, the testing team should have the right coding skills to develop the script.

#2. Easy testing? The prevalent notion among testers is that software test automation is a one size fits all process and an easy one at that. Nothing can be farther from the truth. One of the most important requirements of automated testing is the input. To validate the performance of software in terms of features and functionalities, the same should be tested by the end users using relevant inputs. Since it is not always feasible to get the end users, especially when it comes to testing software across environments and geographies, the need to use virtual users becomes important. The automated software should be able to generate multiple users in various environments to validate the software.

Also, you cannot automate the entire testing process, for not every process is amenable to automation. In fact, automation should be treated as an extension of manual testing, which means the process should ideally be a mix of manual and automation testing. The software testing automation strategy should be clear about the tests to be conducted manually.

#3. Avoid testing on an autopilot mode: Post creating the automation test strategy, it is a common mistake to execute the same test repeatedly as if on autopilot. Remember, executing the same test repeatedly and quickly does not guarantee the best results. To ensure the delivery of quality software, the testing team should come up with the right tests and not stop at that. The testing team should continuously evaluate the tests to find out as to which one shall give the best results. So, it is better to create a test script that suits the specific requirements of testing and not go for a one size fits all types.

#4. Treat test automation akin to software development: With Agile and DevOps paradigms defining your overall testing strategy, the focus should be on looking at the entire testing process holistically. The testing process should not be treated as an add-on but an integral part of the SDLC. In other words, the testers should be conversant in coding and be able to write test scripts that are customized to the project requisites. Software testing using automation tools needs continuous improvement and should be updated as per the changing parameters.

Conclusion

Software test automation is a powerful exercise/process to validate the quality of software across environments. However, testers should use the right strategy and automation tool to achieve the desired results. If done properly, it helps to deliver glitch free software, enhance the workflow, and achieve ROI.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world’s first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

What makes Mobile Testing so important and all-encompassing?

Mobile applications are leading the way as far as driving the process of digital transformation is concerned. Their increased usage can be attributed to the scale of penetration of smartphones using the latest technologies. In fact, customers have spent around $92.1 billion on mobile apps in 2018 (Source: businessofapps.com.) At the same time, the number of mobile apps seems to have gone through the roof – 2.1 million & 2 million apps on Android and Apple app stores respectively. Also, given the scope of mobile application usage in areas such as vehicles, watches, kitchen appliances etc., customers have become choosy when it comes to any deficiency in the quality standard. The said deficiency can be related to issues like device compatibility, functional defects, and below-par user experience. No wonder mobile testing has become a critical process in the SDLC, for it is directly linked to revenue generation or the lack of it.

The challenge of staying competitive is forcing businesses to launch newer mobile apps with better features and functionalities. This has put the developers and testers under strain to not only meet the stiff market demand but even face the heat should the revenue stream is not consistent with expectations. To add to the existing challenges of stiffer turnaround times and staying on top of the technological curve, there is a plethora of device configurations, operating systems, networks, frameworks etc. Any mobile application, to provide even a modicum of quality user experience, should ensure its compatibility across the above mentioned digital touchpoints or elements.

To address the challenges of compatibility and below-par performance of mobile apps, testers are adopting methodologies like Agile and DevOps. In fact, embracing mobile test automation has enabled testers to address the inadequacies of manual testing. On the flip side, choosing the right test tool may not be the easiest thing to do resulting in inefficient and often ineffective mobile testing. Let us find out the reasons as to why the scope for quality assurance and testing is expanding.

# Entry of new devices and OS platforms: The smartphone market is expanding at a rapid pace with the entry of new players and newer versions of operating systems. Due to the frequency at which these are introduced into the market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the QA experts to live up to the user expectations. With different variants of operating systems in the fray, ensuring the compatibility of mobile apps across operating systems like Android, iOS, Windows, Blackberry or their mind boggling versions can shut the living daylights out of many testers. And unless these issues are sorted out and users provided with seamless navigation, the concerned mobile app cannot be expected to climb the charts of popularity. Since user expectation has become the ultimate differentiator for businesses to stay competitive, testers have no option but to expand the scope of mobile testing.

# Diversity in networks: The internet connectivity network is diverse in its range. If on one side you have network configurations like GSM and CDMA, the other side has 2G, 3G, and 4G for mobile app developers to grapple with. Even though mobile test automation tools like network emulators can provide testers with the basic wherewithal to validate the compatibility of apps across networks, they do not offer the challenges of a real network. Testing a mobile app across networks requires studying the impact of Wi-Fi/3G/4G speeds.

# Security challenges: The growing menace of cybercrime has brought about the criticality of security testing. Moreover, since mobile apps are increasingly used to provision/buy/sell products and services, they deal with sensitive personal/business/financial data and information. With hackers on the prowl using viruses, trojans, malware, ransomware etc. as their tools, mobile app testers should ensure the data is properly encrypted and payment gateways made secure.

# Diversity in app types: A vast number of mobile apps are built for various industry verticals, be it eCommerce, health, payment, utility services, banking, or travel. To ensure the apps meet the desired business objectives as well as provide a seamless user experience, they need to be tested rigorously based on the relevant metrics.

Conclusion

The scale, diversity, and scope of mobile apps are expanding at a frenetic pace. To ensure they meet the basic criteria of aesthetics, usability, performance, and security, a robust mobile testing strategy should be adopted.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world’s first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

What is your Application Security strategy for 2019?

Digital transformation, besides heralding immense benefits for businesses, entities, and individuals, has brought about a slew of security challenges as well. In today’s digital ecosystem where software applications containing sensitive business and personal data interact with a host of digital touchpoints, there is an increased risk of the presence of inherent vulnerabilities within these applications being exploited. The rough estimates on the proceeds of cybercrime in the year 2018 are expected to touch a whopping $1.5 trillion (Source: thesslstore.com.) The magnitude of the challenge is due to the fact that cybercrime has become a low investment, low risk, but a high yield venture for criminals.

Since cybercrime has the potential to damage customer confidence and brand reputation, businesses have to build robust strategies for application security testing. Let us look into the ways in which security risks can be minimized.

Steps to reduce security risks

Minimizing  the risk exposure to critical business and personal data.

Build  a strategy to implement risk management and compliance procedure.

Know about the evolving security threats and upgrade systems for prevention.

Adhere  to all security protocols and maintain the required business service levels.

The predominant application security testing methodology followed by most organizations involves using firewalls and SSL encryption. However, these organizations often become a victim of cybercrime thereby undermining the brand reputation and critical data. The way to strengthen the security network and reduce the exposure of systems to risks is by executing application security testing early in the SDLC. As security vulnerabilities can be exploited at any given point in the workflow using methods like SQL injection and cross site scripting among others, it is better to develop a security culture aka DevSecOps. As technology evolves, businesses should reassess their strategy for software application security testing in the year 2019.

#1. Pre-empt threats and enhance enterprise mobility: Since many security incidents can be traced back to compromised internal sources, it is better to implement the best practices for identity management. This should be followed across the organization involving every stakeholder – employees and vendors. Moreover, the business-critical information should be retained by securing the email exchanges.

#2. Real time detection and pre-emption of security incidents: Businesses should understand the user behaviour and gain insights into the logs to identify any ‘outlier’ transaction. The system users should be updated about following the risk and compliance regulations. Also, a proper security infrastructure should be put in place comprising secured user login, passwords, privileged access etc.

#3. Securing each application component: Each component of a software application can have specific security challenges and would need appropriate interventions. For example, the component(s) responsible for program execution would need the incorporation of intrusion detection and prevention systems. Similarly, the component to store information would need proper access controls pre-empting other components from accessing data elements. The application security testing methodology should validate the network access controls to check if they allow the ingress of approved users or information.

#4. Automate the security paraphernalia: The high-end applications of today comprising numerous digital elements can be subjected to cyberattacks unless proper security measures are put in place. This calls for replacing the manual security measures with automation. Importantly, AI-led automation can predict and pinpoint the security vulnerabilities or intrusion by analyzing the historical patterns. Automation can be a consistent, accurate, effective, and reliable method to bolster security.

#5. Use cloud-based security applications: With increased competition, businesses are looking at cost effective initiatives to drive revenues. Moreover, the biggest challenge to implement IT security measures is the lack of trained staff and adequate budgetary allocation. Businesses are often wary of implementing costly security systems. This is where cloud-based resources can be accessed, configured and implemented at cost effective price points.

#6. Test the existing security measures: The security apparatus implemented should be validated against vulnerabilities and threats. To ensure the same, rigorous application security testing in the form of penetration testing should be executed. The said testing can offer valuable feedback on areas containing vulnerabilities and gaps. It is better to engage external agencies to conduct penetration testing to obtain an impartial evaluation.

Conclusion

Ensuring the security of applications has become the biggest challenge for businesses given the growing spectre of cybercrime. However, the same should not be approached with a jaundiced eye to cut costs. Implementing DevSecOps is arguably the best software application security testing strategy to minimize security risks.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world's first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

5 strong reasons for considering AI for Software Testing

To meet the digital transformation goals where DevOps and Continuous Delivery are the key paradigms, businesses have their task cut out. The growing competition has led companies to innovate fast and deliver products and services that are free of glitches. This means assessing risks on a real time basis across the SDLC by leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Also, the availability of big data and computing power has led the IT thinktanks in business to consider AI as a strategic investment.

To be a digital disruptor in your domain and hold a competitive edge, there should be adroit management of the customer experience. This can, however, be a difficult proposition given the broad spectrum of software testing. Today, a software application or system interacts with myriad digital touchpoints through APIs in a nonlinear fashion. Also, the digital environment is witnessing rapid changes driven by technologies such as IoT, quantum computing, and robotics among others. These developments have created a challenge of sorts for digital testing necessitating the use of machine-based intelligence.

How can Artificial Intelligence help QA?

With the complexity of applications, interfaces, and digital environment increasing, AI application testing can be used to conduct a plethora of tasks such as:

Building and optimizing test cases

Selecting the right test cases for automation

Carrying out predictive analysis

Speeding up processes conducting routine analysis

Determining outcomes beforehand for complex test cases

Is AI in software testing going to be the new normal in QA?

In traditional QA, the modus operandi involves looking for an expected output after putting in the data manually. Even when test automation is introduced, some of the tasks like input of data are driven manually. However, with AI application testing, the software is made to understand the input data and predict the outcome accurately. The best part of involving AI testing services is the felicity with which the machine or tool carries out testing in various ways. Moreover, should there be any code or UI change, AI can direct the testing tools to handle it in a seamless manner. So, be it creating test codes, anticipating outcomes, handling code changes, or predicting glitches in thousand lines of codes, AI can deliver the goods with significant time and cost savings.

5 reasons how AI can significantly enhance QA

#1. Automating the QA architecture: The complex scenario of QA testing makes the identification of test processes a difficult exercise. Since not all processes can be automated, it is a challenge to choose the ones that need to undergo automation. Also, every test case comes with numerous dependencies, especially between attributes and instances. Handling such dependencies with information being added, deleted or modified due to a change in business logic can be a nightmare. A robust AI testing framework, on the other hand, can build appropriate test cases as per the defined rules serving twin purposes – pre-empting the creation of meaningless test cases and creating test cases to plug gaps in the risk coverage area.

#2. Optimization risk coverage: QA experts are often clueless about the risks associated with various processes and their touchpoints. To achieve the best results in testing, the QA exercise should make use of AI testing services. The best results can cover outcomes such as identifying the maximum number of defects, minimizing the duration of testing, reducing the number of test cases and resources, and increasing the risk coverage area.

#3. Identification and resolving test failure cases: Test automation can often lead to an increase in the number of failed test cases, especially for regression tests. This can happen when the rate of test automation, the frequency of testing, and system complexity show an increase. Other reasons showing a test case failure can be due to the unavailability or slowdown of a third-party API or any change in the test application breaking a business-critical functionality etc. Diagnosing the root cause of such test case failures can be time consuming unless AI is taken into consideration. Using AI in software testing can quickly identify and eliminate the reasons for such failures.

#4. Reducing the burden on QA experts: The Agile and DevOps framework entails creating a sprint wherein QA experts identify glitches post the development of a code. However, artificial intelligence app testing can be leveraged even by the development team to do a preliminary test screening. This can reduce the overall turnaround time as developers are able to identify and eliminate glitches in the codes beforehand. Moreover, they can even modify the codes to pre-empt bugs from sneaking in.

#5. Test simulation: AI testing can simulate any number of test users to validate various functionalities associated with an application. This can help in testing each and every test case and its interface with various digital touchpoints leading to better identification of glitches.

Conclusion

AI can influence new areas of testing such as predictive analysis, intelligent automation, and design thinking leading to quality engineering. It can help enhance business agility and competitiveness.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world’s first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

Changing trends in Software Quality Assurance

The global digital landscape is witnessing rapid changes thanks to developments like the advent of advanced technologies, digital convergence, the emergence of social media, and proliferation of a number of device platforms and channels of communication. These changes, besides whetting the appetite of customers for better quality products, have also created challenges and complexities for businesses. According to the World Quality Report for 2018 – 2019, end user satisfaction has emerged as the top priority for businesses to address. As the software development process adopts new technologies and paradigms to cater to the emerging user requirements, software quality assurance too is witnessing disruptions. Let us discuss the changing trends in software quality assurance testing in some detail.

#1. Adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning: The adoption of AI and machine language processing by software quality assurance services is based on two premises. The first one is about using AI and machine learning to enhance the capabilities of QA software testing while the second is about testing the AI algorithms. AI, by using neural networks and Natural Language Processing can help the QA process in several ways such as:

Creating sophisticated test automation scripts to predict glitches by analyzing huge databases.

Providing developers with the option of carrying out initial testing before passing on the code to testers. The testing can help developers in identifying the source of bugs in the codes quite easily.

Looking into areas like databases, memory, servers, internal file contents etc. to test if the test outcomes match the expected results.

Simulating virtual users and analyze their interaction with various features of applications.

#2. Performance engineering emerges as the key: The growing complexity of software applications has brought in the discipline of performance engineering. It is not about merely testing the performance of a feature or functionality on specific metrics but analyzing how various elements of an application or system function combinedly. These elements comprise performance, functionality, usability, security, system configuration etc. The discipline of performance engineering deals with improving the quality of high value elements of a system or application. It is achieved by breaking the individual components of a system and finding out how they collaborate with each other.

#3. Internet of Things (IoT) Testing: The advancements in digital technologies have led to the development of next generation devices that communicate with each other. In other words, modern devices like LED TVs, refrigerators, cars, and others have software applications build into them, which help to perform functions based on user commands. To ensure such connected devices function to their optimal level, the embedded pieces of software are needed to be tested. These types of software, when form part of the medical devices, play a critical role in saving the lives of patients by correctly diagnosing the ailments. Thus, it gives more reason to test their efficacy through QA software testing. There are several quality assurance software testing services such as compatibility testing, usability testing, scalability testing, regression testing, performance testing, and security testing.

#4. Big data testing: Today’s devices interfacing with several digital elements generate a humongous quantum of data. The analysis of such data is critical to derive suitable inferences, which may be of help in realizing the objectives of a business. The data should be validated against parameters such as consistency, accuracy, conformity, duplication, and completeness.

#5. Test Automation: Software quality assurance often involves the testing of processes that are repetitive in nature. This can lead the testers suffer from visual fatigue thereby losing track of the test parameters. The manual way of testing complex test variables is glitch prone and time consuming leading to adverse consequences. To address the issue, the software quality assurance services take recourse to test automation. Here, the QA experts write automated test scripts (even by taking the help of AI) to test various test variables. Even though not all tests can be automated, the ones subjected to automation can come out glitch free not to speak of increasing the test coverage area. Testers can use several test automation platforms (open source or premium) to write test scripts.

Conclusion

Testing experts should keep abreast of the latest technologies and paradigms in testing software applications. They are an important cog in the wheel in delivering glitch free software products and ensuring customer satisfaction. The latest trends in QA must be followed to stay ahead of the competition.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world’s first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

[diyatestingupdates-blog]

Top 5 reasons for considering AI for enhancing software quality

The digital transformation initiatives of enterprises have become comprehensive and complex in their scope and challenges. These initiatives entail the development and delivery of myriad software applications, which in turn leverage a host of digital elements. These elements include API’s, legacy systems, platforms, frameworks, cloud, cutting edge devices, operating systems, browsers, and networks. The complexities and challenges brought about by the interaction of applications and digital elements (as mentioned earlier) have witnessed a paradigm shift in the Quality Assurance process. To ensure deliverables such as quality and cost savings within small turnarounds, the leveraging of machine based intelligence has become important. Artificial intelligence, apart from improving the quality and scope of test automation, helps in analyzing huge chunks of data to draw meaningful inferences. AI application testing is poised to do away with traditional manual testing processes and help stakeholders to implement the Agile-DevOps model in a better way.

The artificial intelligence testing services assess and analyze software applications under specific parameters/conditions to identify the risks and overall threshold before their eventual delivery. AI testing paves the way for developers, testers and members of the operations unit to be convinced of the quality of software as well as understand the specific software attributes that would appeal to the end customers. AI testing helps the QA teams to impart quick and precise feedback to the development teams. This is of utmost importance given the speed of software launches and the mindboggling array of digital elements the software needs to have an interface with. The QA requirements of today have shifted to smart testing from the traditional waterfall model of testing. Furthermore, the pace of new software releases notwithstanding, the frequent updates too are needed to be factored in by the QA team. This is where leveraging AI application testing becomes essential.

Let us delve into five reasons as to why artificial intelligence has become crucial to enhance software quality.

Why use artificial intelligence app testing?

#1. Better accuracy: A proper QA exercise includes the validation of each and every feature and functionality of the software. This is not always possible in the traditional waterfall model of manual testing given the factor of human fatigue in testing repetitive and complex processes. Even the much vaunted test automation might come a cropper if the QA team is not able to create proper test scripts for specific processes. However, AI application testing can analyze the testing requirements and create suitable automated test scripts. Also, the AI testing tools can generate meaningful data for the QA team to take relevant inferences about enhancing the quality of software. As testers are freed from carrying out mundane tests, they can utilize the time to create better test automation suites.

#2. Simulated testing: Given the preponderance of test variables interfacing with myriad digital elements, it is virtually impossible to validate them by any QA department. However, AI app testing services can simulate any number of virtual users (even running into thousands) who can interact with the software application. In doing so, these set of virtual users can validate the features and functionalities of the software application, especially when the latter interfaces with sundry digital elements. The virtualization process checks each and every test variable and identifies the glitches lying therein. Thus, the quality of software gets enhanced significantly in tune with the business requisites leading to customer satisfaction.

#3. Easy testing process: The foremost challenge for any QA tester is to write automated test scripts that examine a vast amount of data. This can delay the testing process thereby impacting the overall turnaround time – a critical lapse that can have an adverse impact on business. Remember, customers are generally attracted to new products, and if the same turn out to be innovative, qualitatively superior, and feature rich, the business delivering such products can reap rich dividends. However, such lapses can be easily mitigated or eliminated by leveraging artificial intelligence app testing. The powerful algorithms of AI can create sophisticated test scripts that can analyze and sift through copious amount of data. Moreover, AI can analyze past test records and evaluate the entire SDLC to suggest the areas of testing and predict glitches. This can significantly increase QA efficiency and save time.

#4. Helps developers: The development teams are dependent on the QA teams to identify glitches that may have been incorporated into the software. This has a bearing on the overall turnaround time. What if, the development teams conduct some sort of initial screening of the codes before handing the latter to the QA teams? This can help the development teams to remove the gaps or bottlenecks that have crept into the codes. This becomes possible when an AI testing framework is considered as a part of DevOps. The development teams can leverage the AI testing tools to conduct an initial screening exercise. Consequent to this approach, the efficiency of the QA process improves and crucial time/cost is saved, which otherwise would have gone into rework. AI can detect the source of bugs in the software, which can help the development teams to carry out suitable modifications in the codes thereby pre-empting the entry of bugs.

#5. Improves the test coverage area: Traditional QA leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the scope of testing. AI, on the other hand, can look into areas such as memory, database, internal file contents, and program states to test if the software is delivering outcomes that are consistent with the expected ones.

Conclusion

The AI app testing services are increasingly leveraged by enterprises to turn their QA processes precise, elaborate, quick, and cost effective. These services analyze and offer test outcomes that improve quality, streamline processes, quicken the pace of delivery, and achieve ROI.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world’s first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.

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Top API Testing tools to consider

An Application Programming Interface or API is at the heart of the digital ecosystem for it helps a software application to connect with its surrounding digital environment. The environment may comprise devices, operating systems, servers, memory, processors, and networks. An API consists of a set of protocols, routines, and tools and acts as an interface between the application and its immediate digital environment thereby doing away with human intervention. Its importance is growing by the day thanks to the advent of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things, AI, Cloud Computing, and Blockchain among others. To ensure applications work to their optimal level and meet the stated business objectives, undertaking API testing in the SDLC has become necessary. It is done to validate the performance, functionality, usability and security of an application.

The rising complexity of APIs given their interaction with a host of digital elements and environments has necessitated the use of automation in API testing. It has become a cog in the wheel for implementing shift left testing in the Agile-DevOps mould. The API testing approach requires the testing team to use the right automation test tools to identify glitches, which otherwise could mar the user experience of the application. Let us discuss the top API tools (open source and branded) and know about their advantages.

#1. SoapUI: This open source automation tool is one of the popular API testing solutions that tests the functionality of an API. The tool can be used to test REST and SOAP-based APIs and web services. The tool can help to build a test suite with a host of features. These include using drag and drop or point and click to select a feature. The tool is reusable especially when it comes to load and security testing. It facilitates asynchronous testing besides ensuring Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery. The SoapUI tool can simulate customer interaction by loading data from a variety of sources – files and databases.

Website: https://www.soapui.org/

#2. Postman: Formerly a chrome browser plugin, this API test automation tool provides an alternative testing environment in a language that is different from the one used by developers. It has a slew of advantages such as an easy to use interface, features like run, test, monitoring and documentation, integrations for Swagger and RAML formats, and the ability to run on Mac, Chrome, Windows and Linux-based apps. Moreover, Postman can be a useful tool when it comes to executing automated and exploratory testing. So, without having to learn a new language one can use the tool and utilize its powerful documentation features to share the test outcomes with everyone in the testing team.

Website: https://www.getpostman.com/

#3. Katalon Studio: This popular end-to-end automation solution can be used to test APIs, web and mobile applications. The tool offers the capability to combine UI, API and web services for multiple environments such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. It has a data driven approach for testing and supports CI/CD driven integration in the DevOps environment. Katalon Studio supports the assertion library called AssertJ to create assertion in BDD style. Also, by supporting manual and Groovy Scripting modes, the tool can be used by non-technical persons as well.

Website: https://www.katalon.com

#4. Tricentis Tosca: The tool has support for a host of protocols such as JMS, HTTPS, AMQP, Rabbit MQ, TIBCO EMS, SOAP, IBM MQ, and NET TCP. It can be reused for subsequent tests and is easy to maintain as well. Besides reducing the time for regression testing, Tricentis Tosca is suitable for use across devices, browsers, applications, networks etc.

Website: https://www.tricentis.com

#5. Apigee: This cloud-based tool powered by JavaScript helps to validate the performance of APIs. It does so by analysing the error rates, response times, and traffic. Besides, it allows both the developers and testers to design, scale, monitor and deploy APIs. In doing so, Apigee allows the deployment of APIs on cloud and on premise systems by using a single code base.

Website: https://apigee.com/api-management/

#6. JMeter: This tool was originally created for load testing but has become one of the popular open source API testing tools for functional testing. The tool allows for integration between JMeter and Jenkins thus adding the API tests in a CI pipeline. Also, it is capable of carrying out performance testing for static as well as dynamic resources.

Website: https://jmeter.apache.org/

Conclusion

The growing importance of APIs in running an application has led to their demand for testing. The long list of tools is a testimony to the fact that besides testing the application, testing the APIs should be undertaken in right earnest as well.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, which is the world’s first Independent Software Testing Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.