In the enterprise, mobile adoption is increasing at a fast pace-and so are the concerns about security, reliability, and quality for the software that drives mobile devices. Some of the unique and unfamiliar challenges faced while testing mobile applications are usability, network connectivity, online/offline content, call interruptions, varying form factors, networks, and device providers. Manish Mathuria describes how mobile testing differs from testing traditional enterprise systems. He provides practical tips on how to quickly and smoothly transition from traditional software testing to mobile testing while striving to deliver the same level of quality. Manish explores the nascent mobile testing tools available today to test enterprise mobile applications that are quickly reaching the same complexity as their desktop counterparts.

In most organizations cost reduction is still the number one motivation for test process improvement. Although several formal improvement models are popular, they require formal assessments, process change working groups, extensive implementation programs, and new organizational structures. Instead, you can quickly implement measures that improve your testing process incrementally within your day-to-day activities. Martin Pol presents a low-budget way to select and implement a set of measures that can rapidly improve testing’s contribution to your project’s success-simple risk analysis, proactive test design, coverage targeting, and novel ways to reuse tools, environments, expertise, and existing testware. Learn how low-budget test process improvement can become a natural behavior for your testing staff. Achieve quick wins by working more closely with development and using what you have-instead of buying or creating new tools.

Many testing organizations view implementing a Testing Center of Excellence (TCoE) as a positive step toward providing better service to their clients. They understand how a TCoE can define and promote standard testing practices, consolidate testing tools, reduce costs, define testing boundaries, and provide specialized testing services. Unfortunately, many organizations, as they work to establish their TCoE, face problems and don’t achieve the promised benefits. Raja Neravati explores approaches for overcoming the challenges of implementing a TCoE. He describes a “tested” TCoE implementation process to address business goals, stakeholder interests, span of control, budgets, and quality problems.

If you are challenged to test software applications with limited or no access to the hardware on which they operate in production, this session is for you. Gatan’s DigitalMicrograph software, the industry standard for use on electron microscopes controlling proprietary cameras and imaging filters, is highly specialized software requiring expensive hardware equipment for testing. This equipment must be shared by many individuals and organizations-including test. Even Gatan, the manufacturer of this equipment, often does not have all the hardware available in-house to test software revisions. Scott Miles shares his experience living with limited access to hardware and the approaches he has used to strengthen their test strategies. Join in the discussion and take back examples of how to build relationships with your manufacturing facility, OEM suppliers, and customers to leverage their hardware and resources for everyone’s benefit.