8 | Testing world
It's testing Jim, but
not as we know it!
Just as Star Trek has evolved considerably over the last 40 years,
comparisons can be drawn with the evolution of software testing. In an
era where off-shoring and automation are becoming essential parts of
the testing lifecycle, and rapid technology improvements are constantly
invoking change Gordon MacGregor, chief executive of SmarteSoft and
Steven Christer global head of testing for Strategic Systems Solutions
ask what implications does this have for software testing in the US and
around the globe.
B
ack in 1966, Captain James more prevalent in both the business
T Kirk asked to be ‘beamed and the general population, consumers
up’ for the first time amid a and companies started to demand
cardboard-looking set, basic better software quality. The ‘blue
special effects and poor makeup. But screen of death’ became unacceptable
40 years later and the cardboard sets as the market demanded the same
are replaced with CGI and the makeup reliability from software that was
and special effects are vastly improved. expected of other consumer goods.
The improvement has been immense, In the late 90s the millennium
and certain parallels can be drawn with panic caused massive amounts of
In the late 90s the
the evolution of software testing over time and money to be expended on
millennium panic caused
the last few decades. formal testing of legacy systems
for millennium defects. This further
massive amounts of time
Why was there a need re-enforced in the software industry
and money to be expended
for a change? the critical need for rigorous testing.
on formal testing of legacy
In the 60s, to a large degree very The millennium changed the landscape
systems for millennium
limited unstructured testing took of testing and can be identified as a
place within software companies point of emphasis that efficient and
defects. This further
and IT departments, predominately effective testing can provide real
re-enforced in the
completed by the development benefits to ROI. software industry the
teams. Testing was seen as a routine Rigorous testing became an industry-
critical need for rigorous
activity that anyone could complete, wide must, with consumer software
and it was usually assigned to junior companies setting the standard for
testing. The millennium
developers as part of the rite of software quality. Mass distribution
changed the landscape
passage. This approach often provided of consumer software meant that of testing and can be
poor quality, as countless tales the support cost of software defects
identified as a point of
of multimillion pound utility bills skyrocketed. Companies began to
emphasis that efficient
and other obvious errors showed. invest significantly in testing, and
These types of major software to look at alternatives methods for
and effective testing
failures resulted in software testing testing. This increase in investment can provide real benefits
undergoing radical reviews. and search for alternative methods
to ROI.
As the use of computers became began the boom in off-shoring and
T.E.S.T | June 09 June 09 | T.E.S.T
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