InformationWeek

These newer market entrants are likely to expand their offerings into other areas as Web technologies develop deeper roots in the complete IT enterprise. RSW Software, for example, has already begun such efforts with the introduction of EJB-test, a solution to test the scalability and functionality of Enterprise JavaBeans middle-tier applications.

As more companies work to develop and deploy applications for the Internet economy, by default there's a larger audience faced with the challenges of maximizing quality. Constant time-to-market pressure is only one issue. For many startup companies, financial constraints limit the ability to purchase tools, hardware, and hire people.

Recognizing these pressures, vendors of automated solutions have begun to provide "test on demand" solutions by leveraging their technology and expertise to provide testing as a hosted service via the Internet for a fee. These services can range from a one-time load test to a series of on-going tests with script development and maintenance, application performance measurement and monitoring, and real-time reports.

Load testing services from both Mercury Interactive and Keynote--an offering that exists as a result of the company's May 10 acquisition of Velogic Inc.--are gaining popularity. These services are beneficial for companies under pressure to deliver but short on resources and time.

In addition, these services give businesses the chance to have their applications evaluated by a third party, which adds an element of objectivity. Also, large volumes of realistic user loads can be leveraged through these services, which take into account realistic Web usage scenarios across geographic locations.

Because these services are geared for a fully functional application, they do detract from the life-cycle testing approach, which requires that testing begin early and continue throughout the development process. Therefore, the best solutions for Web-enabled enterprises will require some combination of in-house tools and outsourced services.

Another trend extending the value of automated testing is application monitoring in the production environment, from the perspective of the end user. For testing-tool vendors, application monitoring stretches quality practices into production. This functionality is critical for Web environments because businesses must constantly be aware of how users experience their applications.

Still a ways off, the next trend on the horizon for tool vendors will be a shift in business model to that of an application service provider, so customers can manage their own testing processes by renting the tools they require for testing. This will help to ease the requirement for hardware resources and tool licensing, allowing customers to pay for only what they need.

For many, obtaining automated tools via the ASP model will be attractive from a pricing standpoint because it will remove the big-ticket, up-front cost, which in turn will remove the entry barrier that some businesses face.

Given the undeniably complex array of technologies and the unpredictability of users' loads inherent in the Web-enabled enterprise, automated testing practices will continue to gain business acceptance for companies participating in the Internet economy.

The amount of test automation that's chosen to support the quality of any IT system comes down to finding the right balance within individual companies, but it's clear that there are more choices available today to help the testing effort along.

It will always be a challenge to blend new technologies with existing ones and test that they work together synergistically. Rapid-release cycles and continuous changes make test automation a more practical and reliable way to ensure quality IT systems.

Testing is a business investment, and what's put into it will directly correlate to the business value that's derived. Furthermore, like any good investment, businesses must think of their returns over the long term.

Twenty-five years ago, programmers never imagined their applications would live to see the 21st century. They were wrong about the longevity of their applications, and Y2K remediation carried a heavy price tag.

In the end, it's impossible to predict how far into the future any application may carry a business. Yet with the increasing reliance on component-based development strategies, at least pieces of applications will likely be around for many years to come.

Perhaps the time has arrived for businesses to tear a page out of Henry Ford's lesson book and leverage test automation in a manner that works to make quality "Job One" for the Web-enabled enterprise.

return to page 1, 2