Continuous Testing vs. Test Automation: Three Key Differences

The past few years have brought a sea change in the way applications are architected, developed, and consumed—increasing both the complexity of testing and the risk of software failures. Given the trends that impact both architectures (cloud, microservices, and APIs) and processes (DevOps, agile, and continuous delivery), how can software testing keep pace with modern application delivery? Enter continuous testing. Wayne Ariola explores the three main differences between continuous testing and test automation. He explores why and where traditional test automation falls short in today’s development and delivery processes, how testers can address each of the three key elements of continuous testing, and how to integrate various testing practices—including model-based, risk-based, change-based, and exploratory testing—in a continuous testing framework to achieve the speed and agility required for weekly, daily, or even hourly releases.