A
ce management guru Peter Drucker flatly stated: “The computer is a moron.” Reasoning thus, the success of the likes of IBM, Dell and Compaq probably lies in their prompt delivery of ‘quality morons’. On a serious note, however, all companies realise that nothing can be worse for their image than delivering faulty products. And the IT industry that churns out complex software creations by the day (and even night!) is no exception. Quality is their only obsession, and ‘software testing’ is the solution.
Testing the waters
Experts believe that no software is without its share of errors. The US economy alone loses about $60 billion annually because of errors. Shreedevi Warrier, a software tester says, “Permeation of informatics has resulted in increased dependency on software with the requirement that software and IT-supported systems work error-free and reliably under all operating conditions. Therefore, it is important that they are systematically tested in order to
prove and guarantee their consistency before use.” Pressures of deadlines, finances, uncertain results, and increased competition in software development, are factors that have necessitated software testing. Theoretically, testing has always been a part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). But Subhasini Shreekumar, who has spent 14 years in the IT field of which ten years were in testing, recounts, “When I started out, testing as a practice didn’t exist. Developers created software and delivered it. Steadily, quality control and assurance demands initiated the trend of testing, and professionals called ‘testers’ came into the picture. Testers are responsible for detecting defects in the application before it reaches the customer, and are a much-needed resource in today’s business scenario.” Today, Shreekumar holds the distinction of being the first tester certified by International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) in Mumbai. While developers can be potential testers, these days, there is an increased emphasis on specialised software testers. Vijay Vishwanath, a senior test engineer, explains, “In business, the use of personnel with specialised skills enhances an organisation’s ability to be successful at large, complex, or difficult tasks. It allows for stronger skills, and for the contribution of differing perspectives. Hence, it is important to have a tester who looks at the developed product from a different angle altogether.” In fact, the past three to four years have witnessed an inflow of testers into the IT world, with testing gaining widespread acceptance. Testing is a challenge due to the complexity of software products, nature of the software, and due to the large amount of information required.
Trendspotting
“In a growing IT industry, software creators or developers are preferred. But as industry matures, testers begin to gain prominence,” says Shivanand Prabhu. Currently in business development and international marketing at VyomLabs, Prabhu has been in the testing field for the past five years. He continues, “As proof of the Indian IT industry’s growing maturity, in addition to establishing itself as a software development powerhouse, the country has taken a step forward and begun catering to global software developers by providing efficient testing services in terms of time, cost and logistics.” Preeta Jijo, senior software engineer in testing, infers, “With India becoming a preferred destination for outsourcing the development of software solutions, it was inevitable that companies would have to augment their testing resources to be able to deliver to customer satisfaction.” Figure-wise, the market opportunity for the Indian offshore industry is currently at $2 billion - which is likely to rise to $8 billion by 2008. Jisha Mathew, a testing trainer reveals, “The developer to tester ratio is 1:1 at Microsoft and 1:7 at NASA.” She continues, “In spite of being a nascent field, the testing market in India is growing fast.” It is projected that around 16,000 to 18000 professionals will be needed in the coming year. Heavyweight players such as Infosys, Tech Mahindra (formerly MBT) and Wipro, among others, have committed testing divisions. Leading independent testing providers include RelQ, ThinkSoft, ReadyTestGo, Maveric, Applabs, Polaris Application Certification Enterprise (PACE), IQA Tester, and Stag Software.
Testing topography
Software testing broadly involves: testing of software products, product components, systems, systems integration, communications hardware, enterprise networks and communication network infrastructures in technical and commercial arenas like aviation, production planning, defence, financial services, insurance, healthcare and others that employ IT solutions.
The work
Testing software for functionality, performance, security, usability, integrity, etc are some
distinct test services. “Testing as a process starts right from the requirement till the final product is delivered. It involves the creation and execution of test scripts and reporting of anomalies. Also, the various parameters of the product or system like performance, compatibility, portability are tested,” briefs Vishwanathan.
Hot cakes
Games testing, web-based application testing, device testing, and embedded testing, among others, are emerging areas. Both Jijo and Shreekumar see automation testing as having immense applications in future.
Skill set
Mathew explains, “The industry prefers candidates with BE/ BTech, MCA/ MCM, BSc (Computers), et al. In spite of this, I come across students with BA, BSc, etc, getting into top-notch companies as testers.” Testers come from all walks of life; independently, and via business or development programmes. “Patience has to be an inherent quality of a prospective tester, as a project can run into months or even a year. It is monotonous, repetitive, and even frustrating at times,” says Shreekumar. “An inquisitive nature, stable thought process, creativity and willingness to learn are other requirements,” she adds. States Vishwanathan, “Apart from good analytic skills, the tester should also have tactical and diplomatic communication skills.”
Training to test
There is no specific ‘mandatory or accepted’ certification programme in place to certify software testers. Nonetheless, different global certifications exist which companies often require their candidates to be armed with. Prominent certifications include those from: ISTQB, International Software Education Board (ISEB), Quality Assurance Institute (QAI), and the International Institute for Software Testing (IIST).In addition, the Computer Society of India (CSI) and Standardisation, Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) provide testing certifications. Presently, there is a void as far as university courses are concerned. Hence, private players provide professional training services. “In the course of training, one is taught techniques that in practice lead to a systematic, structured process for inspection and testing,” says Warrier. Independent trainees too are supported by placement programmes. Training institutes include: SQTL, Pune Quality Solutions for Information Technology (QSIT), Bangalore Quality Assurance Institute (QAI), Delhi, and Pure Testing, Uttar Pradesh.
Growth chart
About the career climb, Prabhu says, “Starting as a test engineer, one can progress to levels of senior test engineer, team leader, test manager, and then into other management roles within the organisation.” Qualified testers can also opt to be testing trainers. “Initially, a tester may feel that salaries are not on par with those of developers. But with experience, there is tremendous growth,” declares Shreekumar. And in an interview with the British Computer Society, Rex Black, president and principal consultant of RBCS, a leader in software, hardware and systems testing, and president, ISTQB said, “One of the biggest things happening is India. There are a lot of Indian companies providing testing and other services...India has the advantage of language and legal system similarities with the US and the UK. No wonder the potential is there.” ---***---