The Effect IoT Has Had on Software Testing

We always knew that the evolution of technology would lead us to newer avenues and opportunities in life. But little did we imagine that there would come a day that we would have a technology that would allow us to turn off electric appliances in our house from our office. No more “Did I turn it off” conundrums! That is the magic of the Internet of Things. And here’s an interesting statistic about this rockstar of technology: The number of connected devices in the world was 8.4 billion, i.e., literally more than the number of people on Earth. What’s even more interesting is that research suggests this number will touch 20.5 billion this year. So, yes, it is quite popular, and from the looks of it, that is not going to change any time soon.

One of the critical reasons why IoT has become so intensely popular is because of the impact it has had on various other things around us, especially software development. Software development is a critical part of our highly digital lives on its own too, but when something stands to impact to this extent, a closer look is warranted. And that tells us this: IoT has changed software testing in ways that we wouldn’t have imagined. Why? Because IoT devices are susceptible to security concerns, which, in turn, has put the spotlight on software testing. Long story short, this combination has brought about a lot of positive changes in the software testing industry, and we have listed some of the most important ones below.

1. Continuous testing: Given that IoT is essentially a network of connected devices, the scope of attacks is immense. And given that there’s so much going on, one can lose sight of vital factors rather quickly. But companies have realized that this challenge is adequately dealt with by continuously testing the security instead of executing these tests when the development process is completed.
2. Enhanced testing automation: Test automation is underpinned by the ability to recreate a realistic production environment, which can be extremely challenging to create since the systems that IoT apps rely on are not readily available. The solution, then, is found in service virtualization that helps ensure that test automation is seamless and goes on as planned.
3. Identifying testing priorities: If nothing else, then simply IoT’s definition is a massive giveaway of just how intricate and complicated this technology can be. And even though continuous testing is vital, it is impossible to test everything, i.e., one needs to identify what gets tested and what does not. A careful analysis of the project, requirements, and more has helped companies determine their testing priorities without sacrificing in the context of the product’s security.

As evidenced by the statistic shared at the beginning of this article, the Internet of Things is not a passing trend that will fade into oblivion soon. It is here to stay, and for any company that intends to remain competitive in such an environment must acknowledge and embrace IoT by integrating it into their software QA testing services and other things.