Perhaps the easiest way to understand the challenge of mobile application testing is to consider this staggering fact: over 140 Android devices have been released since the beginning of 2011. New smartphones and tablets (a segment which didn't even exist two years ago!) are released to the market on a weekly basis, each with a unique form factor or set of features. With six major operating systems on the market and an ever-growing number of versions, models, screen sizes and network technologies, it's virtually impossible to keep mobile apps and services in sync with ever-changing market trends.

So what's the best way to test mobile apps and services in today's extremely fragmented and dynamic nature of the mobile market? This post presents some key recommendations for building a mobile testing strategy that meets business needs in a diverse and dynamic mobile environment.

Recommendation #1 – Automation is imperative for mobile testing

By automating the functional and regression testing of your mobile applications, you can ensure the quality and performance of your applications on any device, OS, network and location. Automation allows more tests to be performed on more devices in less time and with fewer human errors. The result is a shortened ALM cycle that allows for continuous QA, better coverage, easier re-creation of problems and substantial cost savings.

In a fragmented market, a device-agnostic testing approach is required to allow enterprises to build test cases that can be easily maintained, reused and ported to multiple mobile platforms.

Recommendation #2 – Cloud-based access to REAL mobile devices

Experience shows that you will probably need to test on up to 30-40 devices in your market and replace around 30% of those each quarter to stay up to date. This can easily turn into a logistical nightmare, especially if you are working offshore. Cloud-based access to REAL handsets alleviates the costs and logistics of procuring and managing new devices (i.e., shipments, network availability, active plans, SIMs, etc.) as they are released. Since all devices are available and managed in the cloud, there is no need for procurement, and devices can be added or replaced within a few hours in response to market needs. In addition, a cloud-based approach facilitates collaboration and enables globally distributed teams to share a device in "live" testing and to replicate issues for improved troubleshooting.

Recommendation #3 – Use Existing ALM Resources

Remember – at its core mobile testing is still software testing. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. For enterprises that have already invested in building an ALM infrastructure, implementing tools and workflows, and training QA teams, the goal is to preserve and leverage these assets by extending your existing ALM framework to support mobile testing.

Guest post by Perfecto Mobile, provider of ‘MobileCloud for QTP' – a native extension for QTP mobile test automation jointly developed with HP

>>> Learn more about extending your HP ALM software to mobile and how to automate your mobile testing using QuickTest Pro in the upcoming Vivit webinar:

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