The role of
software testing is increasing every day. Today it’s not merely a question of error finding and product improvement. Now it’s a long phase, which can begin at the stage of project approval. For instance, assessment of product idea, prediction of possible threats, and analysis of user behavior are the
part of testing.
Terms of
project handover and launch have been significantly reduced these days. However, performance requirements have increased. This lays aside traditional testing methods and establishes new trends. We’ll tell you what the software testing in 2021 will be like.
Use of AI and Machine Learning
Recent advances in
information technologies for the most part are related to the use of artificial intelligence and
neural networks. AI and machine learning have an even greater impact on software testing.
- AI tools help QA teams design tests from scratch with little-to-no human supervision. In particular, AI removes all redundant cases to speed up the testing process.
- AI provides an opportunity to build a requirement traceability matrix to increase test coverage.
- Based on user behavior, machine learning will help to forecast potential challenges and threats faster and more accurately.
- Last of all, AI will improve the precision of error identification and tracking.
In such a way,
artificial intelligence will make the job of a team of project testers simpler. This will allow providing high-quality code and better user experience.
Automation
The
automation of testing cases is developing as a consequence of the development of artificial intelligence. QA teams will be able to focus their time and efforts on conducting new experiments rather than managing testing needs.
Experts assume that the number of automated testing processes will increase in the future to the extent that teams won’t be able to constantly launch each one of them. That is why it’s necessary
to give prominence to the new changes correctly and to focus on them exactly.
Besides, testing automation won’t substitute
manual interactions completely. This is especially the case for those elements, which are responsible for the user experience. If you automate the wrong processes, this will trigger even more problems.
So the trend for 2021 is not the testing automation, but the search for
the right balance between manual and automation testing.
Continuous Integration & Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
Every company, which is getting ready for the improvement of its business process, is taking an active interest in
CI/CD today. This principle can provide smooth operation of critical IT systems.
The essence of the concept lies in the fact that different types of automated tests are included at every
stage of software development with further code deployment.
Its key advantage is that bugs of various kinds can be detected instantly and not at the closing stage of the project. Doing so makes it possible to avoid delays and to process every error better. Also,
CI/CD allows putting the concept of DevOps into practice to the fullest.
Testing Centers of Excellence (TCoE)
People have been talking about the creation of
TCoE (Testing Centers of Excellence) for years now. Nonetheless, we haven’t seen the implementation of this approach to the full extent yet. Once again, the experts predict that TCoE will become a new software testing trend in 2021.
TCoE is a team dedicated to developing reusable testing frameworks and standards an organization can follow when deploying every project.
The main reason for creating such centers is
anecessity to build new standards. They will help to improve the workflow and interdependence within the team. Moreover, TCoE will allow to:
- reduce testing time without losing quality;
- lay the groundwork for efficient testing automation;
- adjust the company’s quality assurance framework.
Substitution for Performance Testing
Achievement of high performance has earlier been the major task of developing the software. But now, the developers need to work on other components as well:
- security;
- usability;
- business value;
- simple configuration.
Therefore, it’s not enough just to conduct performance testing now. It’s necessary to take care of each of the components listed. Consequently, the testing priority will no longer be only one element.
QA teams have to closely monitor all software components.
IoT Testing
Internet of Things is one of the fastest
developing concepts. The 5G standard will be adopted soon. It will significantly increase bandwidth and network speed, and it will improve the reliability of wearables. Respectively, thousands of new IoT devices will be entering the market.
Software testers need to be ready for such a case. Internet of Things implies a set of new programs in each device. First of all, they need to focus on ways to account for all risks and threats releasing an Internet-of-Things-based tool entails. Afterward, they need to develop standards to mitigate these issues quickly.
IoT software testing means testing for the following aspects:
- security;
- practicality and ease of use;
- compatibility;
- data integrity;
- performance;
Herewith, security will become a key element since every product is
network-connected one way or another, which always increases the risks. Besides, IoT devices and relevant programs collect data without informing users about it. Finally, owing to growing demand, some manufacturers might ignore a part of security problems to release a product quicker.
Development of App Security Testing
Even if the user uses the minimum of the
Internet of Things, he’s always exposed to risks. The key reason is the use of a big number of apps on both a personal computer and on a smartphone.
Every new
software is not only an opportunity for the user but also a potential vulnerability. For this reason, testing teams need to develop standards and approaches to check apps for the possibility of entry.
Moreover, they will lay a special emphasis on testing the
enterprise software. Every modern business is built on the use of large amounts of software. Even the smallest vulnerability can lead to a huge problem for team efficiency.
Security is one of the key aspects, which will put the performance testing on the back burner because there are enough approaches for the creation of efficient
software. And the new vulnerabilities emerge significantly faster.
Key Testing Tools
Being able to view and edit the source code of the
software is crucial for the quality assurance team. Customization can help teams work efficiently, create a smooth learning curve for new testers, and cater to the needs of the project with more precision.
For this reason, one more trend is the use of
open-source tools for software testing. They will make software testing more personalized, innovative, and experimental.
Every tester’s stack in 2021 should include the following tools:
- Selenium;
- Robotium;
- Jmeter;
Nowadays each one of these tools allows for quality assurance, error detection and they can make the software perfect. However, testers must keep an eye on new trends. It’s likely that new testing tools will be developed along with the emergence of new
IoT devices.
Importance of Testers will Increase by Several Times
As you see, the first thing that 2021 holds for us is a major update of the software in all fields. It’s important to detect bugs as soon as possible during its development. Respectively, according to forecasts, the importance of the testing team and
quality assurance will increase.