QASource Blog

Though QA is very closely linked to programming and software development, it is a separate industry with its own distinct culture and thought leaders. There are plenty of online resources for expanding your testing skills, but where does one turn for more candid, personal perspectives from within the QA world? The blogosphere, of course!

Whether you’re a Director of QA trying to keep up with the latest testing trends or a budding test engineer looking for relevant leisure reading, this list of QA blogs will keep you occupied and informed.

For product companies, there’s never been a better time to be in the market for QA. Similarly, there’s never been a better time to be a QA engineer. Companies are releasing high-value products that shape the way users engage with the world, and they need high-caliber testing to protect customer experience, stakeholders and their market share.

Effective QA is not made or broken by any one thing. Rather, it’s a combination of all the right stuff: knowledge transfer, skilled engineers, great team culture, and the appropriate testing methodologies. When all of the checkboxes are marked, the result is a successful project and a stronger product that’s ready for market.

Networking conferences and meetups for coders are a dime a dozen. But where can a software testing professional find a place to meet, network and learn from fellow QA engineers? If you’re anywhere near Silicon Valley, you’ll find it at the East Bay Agilistry and QA Meetup Group.

By now it’s common knowledge that QA is an essential part of the software development lifecycle. But when the need for expanded testing arises, many companies still debate about whether to train their in-house engineers or outsource those services. Like so many other problems in the software development and testing industry, there is no clear solution. The only real answer is, “It depends.”

Think fast! How much are repetitive manual tests costing you by the hour? By the day, week and year? Probably a lot. Certain manual testing techniques have their place in the software development lifecycle. But overall, automation is winning the day. A well-designed automation framework can boost your team’s productivity, help you release at lightning speed and, best of all, cut a big chunk off of your testing budget.

Automation testing is ubiquitous in today’s market thanks to improved tools and methodologies. But it takes expertise to implement, execute and maintain automation over time. Many companies continue to shy away from automating because their team lacks experience or the necessary training is too costly. Hiring a QA partner to implement is the perfect solution: you’ll get the thorough test coverage you need while keeping resources lean and improving team productivity.

The ability to do more with less is a hallmark of success for product companies. CEOs and Product Managers want to release new features rapidly to remain on the competitive edge of their market, but they also want to keep their resources lean. How to reconcile these two goals without sacrificing the quality of the product?

Each month, our Advanced Technology group evaluates the latest QA testing tools and we help pass on their findings to you. This month, we give you a few helpful tips on creating test data along with overviews of Protractor and JNA. These updates will help boost your team's efficiency and overall productivity while keeping you in the loop with the latest industry tech standards.

In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) defined standards for safeguarding the sensitive, confidential data of all patients. The act requires health insurance providers to enforce strict privacy and security rules, each designed to protect the patient and all electronically protected health information, known as e-PHI.