Software development is growing exponentially, and it will not be any different in 2020. The most critical part of it all is not even production, but the testing to verify the functionality of the software.
It involves executing the system components and evaluating performance to ensure they are as per the requirements. With advancements in software methodologies and acceptance of DevOps and Agile, software testing is quite a robust practice.
We anticipate seeing some software testing trends attract a lot of user attention and assist organizations in strengthening their competitive advantage. Here are some trends that will shape the industry in 2020.
1. IoT testing taking center stage
Internet of Things, popularly known as IoT, has been picking up consistently. There is always an increase in the number of gadgets and devices incorporated, and more components and hubs coming in. It empowers the centers to associate themselves with each other and work with the aim of trading information.
In software testing, we evaluate the security, execution, ease of use, trustworthiness, quality, versatility, and similarity of the programming items through the Internet of Things and its applications.
2. The dynamism of manual and mechanized testing
With test mechanization coming into play, more Quality Assurance pros rehearse the manual and computerized tests. Since the dependability of the product testing industry is outcome-based, manual tests will likely remain steady. However, the computerized ones speed up the process. A product analyzer can increase the advantages of higher profitability and a short period by having the capacity to join the two tests.
3. Digital transformation
More enterprises are undergoing the intense transformation to digitize their operations and depending on new – edge technologies to leverage on them and increase profits. It means that high requirements are expected of the software in the market in terms of quality, stability, and reliability. As a result, the importance of software quality assurance is higher.
IT budgets have seen an increase of about 35% since 2015 and are likely to increase even more come 2020.
At the same time, experimentation in digital transformation calls for flexibility and agility in the quality assurance processes. Therefore, quality assurance is looking at contradicting demands for stability and flexibility. It sets a challenge for QA managers.
4. User experience leaping with usability testing
Software testing has gone through various operating systems, platforms, and devices, thanks to the rapid growth and increase of e-commerce and mobile applications.
Mobile applications are the go-to for many businesses today, thanks to the extensive penetration of smartphones. An effective and excellent user interface, offering users a great experience is the greatest need of every organization.
People continue to show a preference for applications with quick loading time and great usability. Poor interface affects customer brand loyalty and brand image. Therefore, it essential to take your application through user testing to eliminate all the bugs before releasing it.
5. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Research analysts show that Artificial Intelligence will be everywhere in technology innovations soon. It will be on the minds of all CTOs by 2020. The market for AI is estimated at around six to seven billion dollars. Machine Learning and other interfaces like gesture and speech recognition will also advance significantly in 2020.
Various tasks in line with complex neural algorithms and networks have entirely changed technology’s outlook, and they often need rigorous testing and validation considering they are new in the market.
6. RPA testing going bigger than Automation testing
Automation extension developers can apply RPA to anything that is in a structured form. Automation requires software to apply it, and that is where RPA beats it hands down. You can use it even with the most complex of processes that you can automate with artificial intelligence. Let’s go to the specifics, shall we?
It is an automation style whereby a computer or machine mimics human actions and assists in completing rule-based tasks. It can completely change the workplace and do jobs that automation testing tools perform.
7. Ramping up the quality of Agile and DevOps
Most enterprises continue to embrace test automation due to the underlying motto of Agile and DevOps processes, ” Faster and Quality releases.” It is no doubt that there is significant penetration of test automation that carries out repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently.
DevOps substantiates proper collaboration in different departments; therefore, these test automation tools still lead the software testing realm. With appropriate use of these testing tools, you achieve faster cycles, much better quality, and quicker return on investment.
8. Operational Efficiency above execution testing
There is a reduction in the carrying out of performance testing in software. We can attribute that to the occurrence of efficiency tuning. Operational Efficiency emphasizes things people consider progressively brief and essential in accelerating the procedure, thereby producing higher quality items.
Execution testing leans more toward the engineering, plan, and usage of the final product so that the process of advancement is dealt with as effectively as possible. With a well-built strategy, engineering, and execution, it is a guarantee that the conveyance of prerequisites is on schedule.
9. Testing of Big Data
Since time memorial, data, and data analytics have gained a lot of momentum in various fields such as telecom, banking, retail, healthcare, etc. A lot of emphasis is on data segmentation and optimization for decision making.
Big Data testing is not uncommon, and we foresee exponential growth in the upcoming days. Many people fuel the trend of testing big data because of the robust processes organizations go through to get the best of marketing strategies. As we acknowledge that fact, then we can see why we need big data testing applications to rise in 2020.
In conclusion, just like any other service out there, software testing is in the process of attaining a new level with more focus on the above trends. Manual testing is slowly being phased out with automated testing coming to play leveraging on a large amount of open source and paid technology tools. It is, therefore, important to partner up with next-gen service providers to get the best quality possible.