Why Your Business Needs Software Testing Solutions

Posted: 12 Jun 2012 03:41 AM PDT

More and more businesses rely on complex software applications for the efficient and successful running of their organisations. This heavy reliance on software for everything from databases, project management and sales to software applications, which are entirely Internet based with hundreds and sometimes thousands of people using the applications at the same time. This increased reliance on software for most, if not all business functions, means that it is imperative that it is tested thoroughly to ensure that whatever software you rely on is adequate for the demands of your day-to-day operations.

Downtime is not an option as this can lead to the loss of thousands if not millions in terms of lost revenue depending on the size of your business. In addition, the increase in business reliance on IT solutions over time has lead to an increase in malicious hackers trying to break into companies computer systems. The increase in security of these systems has meant that today, many hackers turn to the application layer. According to technology research giant Gartner, the application layer accounts for up to 90 per cent of all vulnerability when it comes to malicious threats to business. Software testing can identify potential threats. Software testing tools such as those made by Veracode, help to identify such threats in the code of your software.

What Is Involved
Software testing involves running the software through a series of tests in order to identify any bugs or system defects. This is called regression testing. Software testing can not only enable you to find bugs in applications, but it can also help you to identify what could go wrong so that you can then implement ways of stopping things from going wrong. Software testing can also ensure the following:

That the software meets the needs of the users.
That the software works as it was intended to work.
That the software can be applied with the same characteristics as it was intended for in the design process.

Example Product
There are a number of software testing products on the market, which claim to help you improve the quality of your software, and enhancing your productivity levels. HP Quicktest Professional or HP QTP provides automated regression testing for software and forms a part of the HP Quality Centre Tool Suite. This software-testing tool is currently the market leader, but there are a few others on the market such as Veracode Tools and there are also some open source software testing tools available.

The HP Quicktest Professional application claims to provide a unique approach to automated testing. The software boats keyword driven tests which simplify the creation of tests and the maintenance of those tests so much so that your IT team can easily integrate it into their functions with minimal training. Clearly, this would allow any quality control team members within IT departments to quickly and easily identify bugs and to simply document and replicate any regressions and communicate them to the developer team. This allows for bugs to be fixed faster and more efficiently. Obviously, this would then allow for optimal functionality across all departments, data sets and business processes, improving efficiency and helping to maintain security.

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