5 Emerging Trends and Technologies in Software Testing
Software testing needs to keep up-to-date with trends in tech to stay ahead of vulnerabilities and remain competitive. Below are some of the recent responsive schools of thought in testing today.
Automation
Let’s face it, the more testing that’s performed manually, the less efficient the process is. But since automating software testing is a challenge in itself, some time-saving trends are emerging. These include outsourcing test automation and opting for scriptless automation.
Outsourcing to a reputable company like XBOSoft software testing services ensures that the code has been tested rigorously without slowing down development. Likewise, scriptless automation tools simplify testing because they’re flexible and don’t require you to write even more code.
Shift-left testing
Shift-left testing is gaining popularity as another way to tackle inefficiencies in testing. The idea is that performing more testing earlier in development will ultimately save time and money because the software’s code will be more robust from the start.
Mobile testing
As users spend more and more time on their smartphones, thorough mobile testing is becoming much more crucial. TechCrunch reported in 2022 that time spent in mobile apps was averaging more than four hours a day for consumers all over the world.
Along with that habitual time investment comes the user expectation that the transition between desktop and mobile experiences be seamless and that newer technologies like biometric authentication are incorporated as soon as possible.
Cybersecurity testing
The connection between software testing and cybersecurity is becoming stronger as big data and cloud computing take off. A business is only as secure as its data is, so any software it uses should be subjected to regular penetration testing to discover any weak spots.
Neglecting to invest in cybersecurity testing increases the risk of a data breach just as negligent software testing in general would. An increasingly online world demands those loopholes be closed. The only way to eliminate vulnerabilities is to have in place an auditing system that proactively keeps your software agile and responsive to the latest threats. Cybersecurity auditing allows businesses to develop informed processes for cybersecurity risk assessments that keep a company’s data safe.
IoT testing
A rapidly changing world has made Internet of Things (IoT) testing an increasingly necessary undertaking. Smartwatches and similar devices are no longer new technologies but a part of everyday life.
However, testing software for these devices is no trivial task. The security of user data is of particular concern because it includes sensitive information like health or location records.
IoT testing presents a further, unique challenge because the user’s context can be so variable, requiring a more significant number of test cases to ensure the software won’t behave unpredictably. That has led to the rise of IoT testing automation to address this difficulty.
Final thoughts
Software testing is constantly changing to adapt to the new technologies of the modern age. Greater efficiency is always the desired goal, of course, but these trends also point to a shift in focus toward the user on a mobile device.
