Importance of Beta Software Testing in Application Development
During beta, the software application is considered completely functional but it continues to remain in the process of review and refinement. That is the reason why software developers release the new application among a wider audience with an objective to see how it performs under real life scenario. Beta Software testing is a conventional or standard practice in application & programs development.
Two types of beta testing are there.
1) Open beta testing
2) Closed beta testing
Open Beta Testing: Here the software is released among the common public & provided as a freeware demo version. Proper mechanism is devised to get some sort of feedback, which becomes a good food for thought for the developers in knowing the performance of the software application.
Closed Beta Testing:
Whereas in closed beta testing, the software is released among restricted number of testers. Generally such personnel are the earmarked audience entrusted the task of providing their feedback to the concerned developers.
Many developers feel that, the limited beta testing of the software application can be more effective. Reason being population of testing is filtered beforehand, and the developers can get quite precise feedback from limited testing population. They are of the opinion that there is less likelihood of getting some meaningful feedback when the software application is released under open beta testing.
During the beta testing of the software application, the prime objective of the developers remains to lay their hands on the bugs, which happened to go unnoticed by them. Normally, these bugs do not come to surface under normal test conditions. However when the software application is rigorously used under actual conditions, bugs are bound to come to the surface. That is the reason all software developers try to ensure that the application developed by them successfully passes the beta testing process prior to the release of its full version. Thus it builds their confidence that they are delivering a bug free software application to their clients. This in turn helps gaining continued patronage of the clients.
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An expert on R&D, Online Training and Publishing. He is M.Tech. (Honours) and is a part of the STG team since inception.
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