Automating cloud testing

The fact that a good deal of testing work, particularly in the cloud, consists of repetitive tasks which can be automated is attracting growing interest from businesses that deliver related services. Take, for example, SQS, a German consultancy business which specialises in the maintenance of software qualitythroughout an application’s lifecycle. It has just announced a strategic partnership with SOASTA, a specialistin cloud and mobile testing, which will exploit that automation.

The agreement will see SQS offering on-demand testing services using SOASTA’s automated cloud-based testing solutions for web and mobile applications - TouchTestand CloudTest.

Working with SOASTAis seen by SQS as a way to broaden its ability to provide services to its customers by offering a rapid-response, on-demand testing service in addition to its performance, functional and mobile testing services. SOASTA’s testing platforms, will enable SQS to deliver these testing services rapidly and at a very large scale. 

CloudTest, an automated cloud-based testing platform, and TouchTest, an automated functional test solution for multi-touch, gesture-based applications, will be offered as cloud-based testing technologies as part of SQS’ on-demand testing services.  These also include security testing, performance testing and quality assurance through the entire software development lifecycle.  

SQS sees the new services allowing it to tackle testing the systems used for large, often public events to ensure they work on the day. This could, for example, involve testing online gaming systems in readiness for major sporting events such as Wimbledon.

The failure of such a system during the event would, at the least, be embarrassing, yet testing it requires simulating tens or hundreds of thousands of bets placed via content-rich mobile apps, web apps and other channels. That level of testing via traditional means is difficult and costly, but can be undertaken economically and in realistic timescales using SOASTA’s CloudTest and TouchTest products.

Rob McConnell, Regional Director for SQS in Northern Ireland, sees the partnership as an enabler for delivering testing services more quickly and within new commercial models.

“Traditionally, organisations have relied on predominantly manual techniques for testing mobile apps,” said. “SOASTA’s cloud-based platform is an industry leader and has been specifically designed for smarter test automation and quicker and easier performance testing of web and mobile apps. This enables SQS to offer pay-as-you-go pricing for testing infrastructure, provide leading edge diagnostics using a collaborative test analysis platform, and speed up the testing process.”