QA transformation

  Mobile applications are becoming increasingly popular with the end-users as they can be accessed on smartphones while on the go. However, the adoption of such applications by users depends on various factors, chiefly among them being the user experience they provide. Users want the mobile applications to perform seamlessly across device platforms with different screen sizes and resolutions, operating systems, and browsers, among others. To ensure the same, mobile application testing needs to be conducted in the Agile-DevOps mold by leveraging test automation. This is important to achieve frequent deployments with faster time to market. Mobile test automation can be achieved by using tools and frameworks that are available in the market. However, these should be chosen with care by considering several factors. Criteria to select tools for mobile application testing The various factors to be considered while selecting the appropriate mobile testing tools are as follows: Targeted pl...

  With user experience becoming the ultimate differentiator for software to gain acceptance in the market, the compatibility of the software to perform equally across browsers has become critical. This has brought into sharp focus the role of compatibility testing, which if done manually can be quite challenging. However, with the availability of various compatibility testing tools the task of testing a software across browsers has become easier.   Top 10 compatibility testing tools for testers By using a host of tools, testers can troubleshoot issues and ensure every user enjoys uniform experiences across devices and browsers. The top 10 tools for application compatibility testing are as follows: #1 CrossBrowser Testing: This paid tool from SmartBear allows single or parallel cross browser testing for mobiles and desktops with quick results. It offers more than 2000 combinations of operating systems, devices, and browsers, and has features such as automated screenshots...

  The digital transformation initiatives taken by enterprises to ensure better customer traction, monitoring, efficiency, productivity, quality, cost savings, and customer experiences have become commonplace. For enterprises, going online has its perks, especially during the pandemic where employees, clients, vendors, and others are able to connect and work with each other remotely. However, the scattered workforces working with or without security hacks are vulnerable to various threat actors and their machinations. Further, since a large number of enterprises have their databases and other resources located in the cloud, ensuring their security in real-time has become a major challenge. A robust cybersecurity strategy is what is needed to stay a step ahead of cybercriminals. In view of the post-pandemic work environment, enterprises are expected to settle for a hybrid workforce where some employees may work from the office, some from their homes, and the rest shuffling between th...

  The healthcare sector has embraced digital technology in a big way with connected medical devices, computers, cloud, and other equipment facilitating patient management, diagnosis, and treatment. As hospital networks manage a slew of activities ranging from admissions, appointments, maintaining electronic health records, inventory management, delivering remote healthcare, and liaising with insurance companies, among others, they remain vulnerable to threats from malevolent actors. So, to address such threats, technocrats responsible for creating, testing, and maintaining the digital architecture for healthcare need to adhere to the regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Given the digital connectivity of various devices and networks, there are potential risks associated with data security in healthcare and life sciences. Thus, more than ever, healthcare professionals should apply adequate safeguards to prevent cybersecurity risks ...

  The telecom sector can be said to be the backbone behind the digital revolution. The revolution has truly transformed the way people, entities, and governments communicate, collaborate, transact, manage, administer, and operate. The telecommunications industry is moving towards implementing wireless technologies with 5G expected to bring a sea change in the way we leverage the internet. The telecommunications industry, by leveraging 5G technology, is expected to enable a lot of systems that are still taking shape on the drawing boards of engineers or technocrats at various research centers. For example, the use of robots, self-driving vehicles, drones, nano devices in the healthcare sector, and automated machines, among others, are likely to be commonplace in the not-so-distant future.   Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), 4G/5G, microservices, and cloud, among others, are expanding our thresholds for business, speed, connectivity, convenience, and security...

  The rising demand for quality, scale, and speed in the development, testing, and delivery of an application has made test automation an integral part of the SDLC. It may be noted that traditional testing processes are no longer capable of supporting the tough requirements of Agile. Hence, in an Agile-DevOps driven SDLC, the focus is on releasing more software applications in lesser time. This is done ostensibly by enterprises to keep pace with the competitive global digital landscape. With customer experience becoming the chief determinant for the market adaptability of any software application, the demand on testers to conduct comprehensive QA in the shortest possible time is intense. Even though test automation can be considered a force multiplier in the SDLC, it requires the writing of test scripts using programming languages. Also, a lot of time and effort is spent on maintaining the test scripts for future requirements. In a fast-paced development scenario, these can ofte...

  With the demand for faster software releases gathering pace enterprises are embracing the Agile-DevOps methodology for software development. In this methodology test automation forms an integral part to keep up with the shift-left testing practices. It helps to meet the need for conducting end to end regression testing when some new feature or functionality is added to the software application. However, notwithstanding the applicability of test automation to the software development and testing pipeline, it requires testers to write suitable test scripts using programming languages. In a fast-changing digital landscape where complex ERP and CRM solutions are the order of the day and continuous testing the overpowering need, writing test scripts for complex functionalities is time, cost, and effort intensive. In other words, writing test scripts can be a drag on the requirement of faster software development and deployment. Hence, the call to implement intelligent test automati...

  The global pandemic has forced people including those in the telehealth sector to work from their homes. This development has created challenges for upholding data privacy, compliance with regulatory standards like HIPAA, and cybersecurity. The ‘New Normal’ means people working from homes on their personal systems, which may not be fully secured with data encryption features or firewalls. In fact, as per a report from Forescout, a large number of workstations in the healthcare sector do not have a proper version of the Windows operating system. This along with other inherent vulnerabilities in medical devices can mean greater cybersecurity risks for the sector. The ‘New Normal’ has seen penalties being lifted around telehealth as an emergency response to address the challenges surrounding the global pandemic. Such measures have led medical offices to adopt new telehealth platforms, which were not allowed by HIPAA earlier. With the aim of expanding the number of temporary hospit...

  Digital technology has touched every conceivable sector of the economy including healthcare. The multiplicity of healthcare apps doing the rounds is a testimony to the technological advancements made by the digital ecosystem in enabling attributes such as ease of access, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. If the pandemic can be a yardstick to measure the success of such apps then one cannot but agree that these did help innumerable patients in reaching out to the doctors or paramedics and get treated. When social distancing has been the norm, more so during the lockdown phase, healthcare apps came as a beacon of hope and convenience for a large number of people, including senior citizens. Since healthcare apps collect vital health parameters of patients such as blood pressure, heart rate, etc., their accuracy of results is of paramount importance. Imagine a scenario where a patient has a surging blood pressure but the wearable app does not show any alert but gives the impress...