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Automated Software Testing

• Enterprise release management: The top 10 myths

  Application development guru Kevin Parker dispels the top ten myths he keeps hearing about software release management. Continue Reading

• Why continuous testing is gaining ground, but not enough

  Dan Bartow, SOASTA's VP of product management, explains why continuous testing isn't practiced enough and what mobile testers should do about it. Continue Reading

• Applying the scientific method to software testing

  Software testing and scientific testing have commonalities. Learn why applying the scientific method to testing software applications is beneficial. Continue Reading

• Avoiding too many user stories in software development

  In software development today, the overuse of user stories has become a common waste of time and resources. Continue Reading

• Continuous integration testing: Challenges and solutions

  Why is continuous integration testing such a challenge for development teams? Find out why and learn the best solutions. Continue Reading

• Guiding principles for an automated software test

  An expert in automated software testing offers guiding principles for succeeding at this most challenging of QA projects.Continue Reading

• QA skills gap: Testing pros need enough to write a test script

  Writing test scripts for automation does take some coding skills. But many test scripting courses focus on developers, and give testers way too much.Continue Reading

• Automated testing tools: Four reasons why projects fail

  Using automated testing tools is often harder than manual testing. The most successful automation projects are those that never go on autopilot.Continue Reading

• Goal #1 for the QA tester: Take ownership

  QA testers can earn respect and gain influence with peers by taking ownership of the software they work on and looking up to good product managers.Continue Reading

• Application portfolio management: Treat software as a valuable asset

  Application portfolio management helps businesses track their important business apps, making them less intangible and their value more visible.Continue Reading

• SaaS application testing: Keep performance tests in mind

  Performance testing must be a high priority for SaaS application testers. Learn why and pick up tips on how to test a SaaS system's performance.Continue Reading

• Four tips for finding the right cloud testing tools

  Cloud testing tools might improve testing efforts by reducing costs and freeing up resources, but only if the test tools fit what you test and how.Continue Reading

• A good QA team needs a proper software staging environment for testing

  Testing on an accurate staging environment is essential to the QA team's ability to accurately determine how applications will perform in production.Continue Reading

• Agile basics FAQ: Getting started with Agile development

  Check out these tips on Agile basics for a quick catch-up or a great head start on maximizing the value of using Agile methods in your organization.Continue Reading

• New skills for the QA tester: Scripting, security

  Software quality assurance is gaining respect as a profession -- but do QA testers have the scripting and security skills the role now requires?Continue Reading

• Software testers: Get a professional development plan

  STAREAST 2013 participants offer advice to software testers on setting up their company's professional development plan.Continue Reading

• Tips for database testing from the cloud

  What is database testing and how is it important to your application and the company? Get tips to effectively test when data is hosted in the cloud.Continue Reading

• Software development cycle best practice: Threat modeling

  Early in the software development cycle ask, Who might attack the application? How would they do it? What are they after? This is threat modeling.Continue Reading

• Software testing techniques: Overcoming biases

  Gerie Owen offers software testing techniques to overcome biases and boost code quality and answers the pressing "how did I miss that bug?" question.Continue Reading

• Hybrid security: Beyond pen testing and static analysis

  Securing an application's attack surface takes more than pen testing and code analysis. Kevin Beaver explains the hybrid security analysis approach.Continue Reading

• Software test managers: Gaining good leadership skills

  Successful test organizations demand leaders, not just managers. Software testing expert Pete Walen shares advice for acquiring good leadership skills.Continue Reading

• Scrum project management: Estimating with story points

  Scrum project management expert Yvette Francino explains how teams use story points to estimate effort involved in developing a particular feature.Continue Reading

• Agile process: Structured conversations build business-ready software

  Teams committed to the Agile process are good at delivering working software. But what good is that if the software doesn't meet business needs?Continue Reading

• Losing the Wi-Fi connection: Testing mobile app behavior

  When an app loses its Wi-Fi connection, the best thing software pros can offer mobile users is graceful error handling. Here's how to test for it.Continue Reading

• Multi-team Agile process: Shuffling members to meet shortfalls?

  Stable teams support the process of Agile development by delivering the best software. Shuffling members among teams during busy times is a bad idea.Continue Reading

• Fing and Metasploit: Open source security testing

  Fing and Metasploit helps QA pros find security flaws. Testing expert Matt Heusser explains how to use these open source tools.Continue Reading

• Forrester VP says enterprise mobile applications miss the mark

  Building an enterprise mobile application may not be the right focus for today's enterprise application development teams.Continue Reading

• Mobile software lifecycle: The closer you look the more see

  Mobile testing isn't the only big change shaking up the software lifecycle. The mobile planning and coding stages are also undergoing major shifts.Continue Reading

• 'Team mobile' takes shape

  Enterprise software groups redefine themselves as 'team mobile,' as apps for smart phones and tablets take precedence over Web and desktop projects.Continue Reading

• Mobile apps development: Defining requirements is a whole new ballgame

  Software pros must address three critical issues in the requirements phase of mobile apps development: choosing a platform, security and usability.Continue Reading

• Empowering mobile workers with fusion apps

  Fusion apps empower mobile workers by fusing social and location data with key business data. Mobile expert Tom Nolle offers development tips.Continue Reading

• Writing requirements: Common sense measures for success

  Experts offer simple, common sense measures for writing requirements that deliver software that's better for the business.Continue Reading

• SoLoMo apps: How to test them

  SoLoMo apps are on the move, location-aware, and they interact with social networks. That's forcing test managers to devise new QA strategies.Continue Reading

• How upper management misconceptions foster Agile failures

  Agile adoption and projects are failing due to poor support from upper management. What can Agile leaders do for successful Agile adoption?Continue Reading

• Security testing basics: QA professionals take the lead

  QA professionals should take the lead on security testing basics. Their big-picture view of an application helps them find and protect valuable data.Continue Reading

• Mobile 2013: Fusion apps better for business

  In 2013, multilayered fusion apps will combine data from multiple sources, creating new business opportunities for companies that develop them.Continue Reading

• Health care applications: How to determine what to test

  Risk analysis for health care software apps helps clarify which functional areas are most important to test. Catching critical defects can save lives.Continue Reading

• Managing mergers: Test professional best practices

  QA lead Gerie Owen offers firsthand advice for test professionals on managing mergers.Continue Reading

• Software developer career advice: How to make cross-industry moves

  In a tight talent market, a software developer career can make cross-industry move -- even though employers prefer domain-specific expertise. Here's how.Continue Reading

• Agile techniques: Test quadrants and automation volcanoes

  Agile techniques including test quadrants and the test automation volcano help teams organize their testing efforts and establish priorities.Continue Reading

• How to measure test progress: Every picture tells a story

  Seeing the big picture when it comes managing the progress of your software tests may require putting together all the little picture pieces.Continue Reading

• Mobile app security advice: Err on the side of protection

  Apps running on mobile devices demand a high level of security. Experts offer advice and techniques on implementing mobile app security effectively.Continue Reading

• Acceptance test-driven development explained

  Acceptance test driven development brings developers, testers and business together to sort out bugs before coding starts, according to a new book.Continue Reading

• Testing your health care application for use on mobile devices

  Software testers need to take several factors into account when testing a health care application for mobile device use.Continue Reading

• Disciplined Agile Delivery: Agile process framework for the enterprise

  Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) was designed for large-scale enterprises adapting to Agile methodologies.Continue Reading

• Examining Agile fundamentals: Key practices for success

  The term Agile can be slippery, with various interpretations and implementation methods. Learn more about the Agile fundamentals that enable success.Continue Reading

• Exploring the shifting roles in test and QA management

  If Agile software teams reorganize and report to one line manager, what happens to test and QA management? Matt Heusser shares his answer with you.Continue Reading

• Software defects increase cost of Agile projects

  Fixing software defects can increase the cost of Agile software development projects, according to a recent voke inc. survey.Continue Reading

• Defining the role of the Agile project manager

  The role of the Agile project manager is defocused, often eliminated, in Scrum teams. Matt Heusser describes how they can survive -- and thrive.Continue Reading

• Implementing Agile in very large enterprises

  Many Fortune 2000 companies are implementing an Agile methodology. Learn what experts and consultants are saying about how successful it is.Continue Reading

• Textbook vs. enterprise Agile development: Adapting Scrum to scale

  Implementing Agile using a Scrum framework, which requires creating cross-functional teams, can be tough. One solution is adapting enterprise Agile.Continue Reading

• Necessary skills for the Agile project manager

  As the adoption of Agile continues to explode across IT departments worldwide, the Agile project manager has more opportunity to acquire strong leadership skills and ensure team success.Continue Reading

• Hybrid solutions: When mixing methodologies makes sense

  Learn about when and how hybrid solutions can work better rather than a pure agile approach or traditional ones.Continue Reading

• Agile project management using the Cynefin framework

  Learn how the Cynefin framework facilitates problem solving, Agile project management and teamwork.Continue Reading

• APM in ALM: Keeping competitive by building the right apps

  A wise step for many software development companies is to get a handle on the many applications in use and better plan and manage application and project portfolios.Continue Reading

• APM processes: Determining apps’ business value

  Application portfolio management aids decision makers in determining business ROI of applications.Continue Reading

• Customizing your project management framework: Agile, Scrum, Kanban

  Agile expert Lisa Crispin recommends focusing on company goals when incorporating Agile or a customized variation into your team’s project management framework.Continue Reading

• Requirements review in Agile: Ensuring consistency and spotting defects

  Agile testing teams can improve their requirements review process by ensuring consistency, carefully determining testability and spotting missing connections.Continue Reading

• Transitioning a Waterfall team to an Agile development team

  Agile expert Lisa Crispin offers advice on the steps to take to transition a team from Waterfall to Agile development team.Continue Reading

• Ten ways Agile development process, Waterfall approach differ

  What makes the Agile development process different from the Waterfall approach? A software development expert exposes 10 important differences.Continue Reading

• Just-in-time requirements gathering with iterative development

  Consultant Howard Deiner shows us how iterative development allows software teams to get just-in-time requirements, preventing wasted time on over-analysis and allowing for mid-course corrections along the way.Continue Reading

• Realize full potential of agile ALM with customer collaboration

  A strong customer collaboration strategy can turn your high potential ALM team into a high-value delivery team. These Agile ALM collaboration tactics can help managers work with their customers and stakeholders to define solid requirements and to be...Continue Reading

• Agile ALM: Tools for release management

  IT leaders and decision makers will benefit from this tip, written by Software Consultant Nari Kannan, about the problems and challenges in release management and the commercial and open source tools that address them.Continue Reading

• Continuous delivery in ALM: Opportunities and challenges

  Continuous delivery is the automation of the software build-test-deployment of software cycles; sometimes it allows for completing the cycle multiple times a day.Continue Reading

• STAREAST 2012: Risk-based testing approaches for Agile development teams

  Experts Mary LeMieux-Ruibal and Mirkeya Capellán, who are leading a session at STAREAST 2012 titled, “Creating a Risk-based Testing Strategy,” examine risk-based testing on Agile teams.Continue Reading

• Collaboration in Agile development: Requirements analysis is a team effort

  SSQ Site Editor Yvette Francino talks to experts Sue Burk and Janet Gregory about tester involvement in requirements analysis.Continue Reading

• Preventing security attacks using the Enterprise Security API (ESAPI)

  Security expert John Overbaugh explores solutions and strategies that are relatively easy to implement and that prevent some of the most common attacks in part two of this two-part article.Continue Reading

• Security testing for unvalidated redirects and forwards

  Security expert John Overbaugh gives security testers the information they need in order to ensure the Web application code that they’re responsible for is protected.Continue Reading

• Requirements gathering: Collaborative approaches for software teams

  Agile expert Lisa Crispin shares real-world examples of ways teams can collaborate, creating a shared understanding between business and customers and IT development teams.Continue Reading

• Agile ALM: Automation tools for the application lifecycle

  Software Consultant Nari Kannan offers CIOs insights about the different categories of ALM automation tools and identifies commercially available and open source options in each category.Continue Reading

• Enhance mobile application performance with network testing

  Learn how to ensure robust end-to-end testing of mobile applications and their superior performance.Continue Reading

• Four ways to reduce software testing cost without sacrificing quality

  Matt Heusser, lead editor of "How to Reduce the Cost of Software Testing," shares a few of his favorite tips on how to reduce testing costs without sacrificing quality.Continue Reading

• Agile ALM automation strategies: Using source code control tactics

  Organizations that move quickly to automating version control in software configuration management can boost quality and speed results in Agile development and application lifecycle management. The key to success is adopting an overall source code ...Continue Reading

• Performance management for mobile devices: Solutions and strategies

  Software experts reveal mobile application performance management challenges in the enterprise, as well as strategies, best practices and tools to address those challenges in this article.Continue Reading

• Determining the cloud model that best meets your business requirements

  In this third of a three-part series, we explore how to evaluate an organizations' current QA infrastructure and the different cloud deployment models which will help decision-makers determine a cloud deployment model that best suits its business ...Continue Reading

• The benefits of adopting the cloud in quality assurance environments

  In the second of this three-part series, we provide insights that aid senior managers in understanding why QA environments are the best place to begin their cloud adoption journey.Continue Reading

• What upper management should know about managing software testing processes

  Contributor Crystal Bedell interviews experts about how test managers can keep senior managers informed of the value and quality their team adds to the organization.Continue Reading

• Streamlining user acceptance testing (UAT) with Agile

  Organizations that implement successful user acceptance testing can greatly reduce errors and business risks.Continue Reading

• Eight software quality metrics that foster ALM success

  Software consultant Nari Kannan reveals eight metrics that are most important in ALM in this tip.Continue Reading

• Devising a test automation strategy: Getting started

  In this tip by Agile expert Lisa Crispin, learn the important steps to move your organization forward with a well-planned automation strategy.Continue Reading

• Agile testing quadrants: Guiding managers and teams in test strategies

  Agile expert Lisa Crispin explains the four Agile testing quadrants and how they can guide managers and development teams in creating a test strategy.Continue Reading

• Software development bugs: How to identify and prevent them

  With strong Agile practices such as unit testing, code reviews and proper attention to requirements, bugs can be prevented or found early in the application lifecycle.Continue Reading

• Automation testing: Seven tips for functional test design

  In this tip, Chris McMahon describes seven tips for testing leaders that will ensure you are designing your automation tests correctly so that they will be maintainable and catch the bugs before the code hits production.Continue Reading

• Product management: Using social media for requirements gathering

  In this tip, requirements expert Scott Sehlhorst explores the many uses of social media and social networks for improving product management.Continue Reading

• Ten best collaboration tools for business and IT

  Software consultant Nari Kannan writes about ten collaborative and social media tools you can leverage to make sure that IT is tuned in to the needs of business and delivers the needed results.Continue Reading

• Wikis for Agile ALM collaboration

  In this tip, SSQ contributor Chris McMahon describes step by step how tags can be used in wikis to manage Agile user stories from conception through deployment.Continue Reading

• Defect tracking: Lean principles for getting the right data at the right time

  In this tip, author Paul E. McMahon describes how Lean principles can be used to help determine when defect tracking is appropriate for your organization and what type of data is important to collect.Continue Reading

• Performance testing in the cloud

  In this article, SSQ contributor Crystal Bedell looks at three characteristics of cloud-based testing services and describes how performance test vendors are using this model.Continue Reading

• Quality metrics: Defect tracking throughout the software lifecycle

  Though software test experts do agree on a lot, the question of whether or not to track defects before code is released to production is a subject of great debate. In this two-part series, we will look at both sides of the issue, starting with the ...Continue Reading

• Cloud application performance management: Ten insights

  Cloud application performance management (CAPM) is ferent from non-cloud application performance management in its nature and deployment. Software consultant Nari Kannan explains CAPM and how to choose the right tools for deploying your solution.Continue Reading

• The language of cloud computing

  Organizations are increasingly using cloud computing and cloud solutions, which has spawned a new set of terms that correspond directly to the world of cloud computing. Software consultant Nari Kannan explains briefly what cloud computing is all ...Continue Reading

• Tips for interpreting JMeter results

  Interpretation of results from performance test tools is complicated. Learn how to interpret data from your JMeter Listeners using scatter charts, and by using the Aggregate Report Listener and the Monitor Results Listener.Continue Reading

• Mobility testing: Five challenges and how to address them

  Smart phones and other mobility devices continue to grow, as do challenges with mobile testing. This tip addresses each of these challenges with advice on how to best overcome them.Continue Reading

• Software test professionals: Five tester personality types

  Balancing a test team with diverse skill sets and personalities can help provide a strong team. In this tip, Catherine Powell describes five distinctive tester personality types: the questioner, the fixer, the submarine, the visual aide and the ...Continue Reading

• Performance testing in the Agile enterprise

  Fitting performance testing into an existing or transitioning Agile enterprise is not easy. In this tip, software performance expert Scott Barber explains the challenges associated with performance testing in Agile environments and describes three ...Continue Reading

• Continuous integration: Tools and trends

  In this story, SSQ contributor Crystal Bedell describes the benefits of continuous integration, tools that are being used, and the trends for more mature continuous integration techniques: continuous deployment and continuous delivery.Continue Reading

• Agile for data warehousing and business intelligence applications

  Find out how development of business intelligence and data warehousing applications differ from traditional application development, and how Agile principles and techniques can still be applied.Continue Reading

• The whole-team approach to Agile development: Examples and benefits

  Lisa Crispin continues in this second tip in the series by giving real-life examples and benefits gained from practicing the whole-team approach on Agile development teams.Continue Reading

• Agile development: The whole-team approach

  In this tip, SSQ Agile expert Lisa Crispin explains the concept of the whole-team approach in depth, addressing questions of team structure and mainstream challenges.Continue Reading

• DevOps: Adding database automation to your continuous delivery strategy

  In this tip, consultant Howard Deiner goes into the rationale and some techniques to ease the pain that a DevOps team must endure to make sure that the code they need to deploy matches up with the database back end that it must work with.Continue Reading