To set the base right, cloud computing is the availability of computing system resources such as servers, storage, databases, etc. This resource is an on-demand, pay-as-you-go service which allows companies to utilize its benefits meanwhile lowering operational costs.
As per recent researches, the global computing market is expected to boom at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.5%, resulting in the annual spend to leapfrog from USD 371.4 billion in 2020 to USD 832.1 billion by 2025 (source). The report stated an expected increase in sectors where work from home (WFH) is being implemented to ensure the smooth functioning of business processes.
Cloud technology is here to stay, with several industries trying to implement cloud computing in their business one way or another. But making sure that this technology is integrated seamlessly without interrupting the existing workflows is equally necessary.
This seamless integration can only be achieved with help of cloud test automation.
In the present world scenario, cloud test automation has gained a lot of recognition among QA and software testing companies. This technology has helped testers as well as developers by enabling them to deliver quality products and by shortening the software development life cycle (SLDC). Even though this is one of the salient features of cloud test automation, it’s not the only reason why the technology has gained so much traction.
Let’s look at all the other benefits to understand why a business should implement cloud test automation into their cloud frameworks.
Business Level Advantages of Cloud Test Automation
1. Seamless Platform Upgrades
With the technology moving at such a fast pace, making sure that it is seamlessly integrated without disrupting the business processes has become increasingly difficult. Creating a testing environment that can sustain these changes in technology has become essential. Cloud test automation allows you to swiftly adapt to any technological change that an upgrade or a new technology brings by providing you with better test coverage.
2. 24 x7 Availability
Testing teams need access to the testing environment and all the automation assets at all times. Having this access allows testers to run test cycles from anywhere in the world at any time. This functionality to share resources at any given location and point in time reduce capital costs incurred. Availability of a 24×7 testing environment also allows teams to collaborate and develop tests from different parts of the world. This collaboration enables testers to create CI/CD frameworks regardless of their current location.
3. Secure
Testers have to perform various types of tests daily. These tests require different environments; some are done against a test environment, some against pre-production environments.
Ensuring that all these tests can be conducted in a secure environment that supports applications designed to be robust and scalable across a large organization is crucial.
Cloud test automation allows you to comply with all the regulations and certifications necessary during different phases of SDLC, ensuring that your enterprise stays safe and protected at all times.
4. Scalability
Cloud test automation allows you to create test cases and execute them simultaneously on different devices and platforms. This technology also allows you to scale up these processes, when the demand arises, by reducing the execution time of test scenarios and fastening feedback. Cloud test automation brings about immense simplification to the management and administration of the IT landscape.
5. Cost-Effective
Cloud test automation helps in managing and sustaining devices for your in-house testing team, thus reducing the overhead costs associated with it. These savings can be redirected to other aspects of your business such as development and procuring better testing tools.
6. Disaster Recovery
Cloud computing was primarily discovered to store data on remote servers. Cloud test automation makes it easier for organizations to store large sets of data, protecting them against any data loss or any other natural disaster that results in damaging the physical servers of the organization.
7. Cross-Team Collaboration
Last but not least, Cloud test automation facilitates collaboration between all the parties involved during the testing and development process.
A cloud allows team members to view all the different documentation involved concerning the project, from anywhere in the world. This component enables improved efficiency and a thorough understanding of the steps to be followed during the project.
Cloud test automation is the next-gen form of automation testing service that brings several benefits to a business. It is essential to learn the resources required to administer this process.
Cloud test automation can be performed using many different tools.
Best Cloud Test Automation Tools
1. AppPerfect
AppPerfect enables you to perform cloud-hosted testing, cloud security testing as well as cloud load testing. Using this tool, you can test web applications on different browsers, hardware, and OS.
2. AppThwack
AppThwack is designed to test android, iOS, and web apps on real devices. Amazon Web Services has recently acquired AppThwack allowing users to test multiple devices at once in the AWS cloud.
Benefits of Cloud Test Automation Tools
Cloud test automation tools yield multiple benefits in comparison to traditional test automation tools. Here are three top benefits:
1. Implement Agile Workflows
Cloud testing tools can ameliorate agile workflows by delivering a collaborative platform. These tools allow you to use resources such as test management tools in these environments, which enables organizations to involve team members during the entire development cycle.
Cloud testing tools automatically update all the assets present in the cloud, allowing teams to collaborate effectively. Thus, reducing the number of errors and superfluity.
Cloud testing tools also expedite continuous integration (CI), allowing testing teams to shorten the software development life cycle (SDLC).
2. Provides Flexibility
With a plethora of new software applications and devices coming out every year, it has become increasingly hard for QA and software testing teams to ensure that they work perfectly.
Cloud testing tools provide companies with the flexibility to take steps to make software applications more compatible with specific browsers and devices, ensuring that your applications deliver high performance, usability, and functionality.
Cloud testing can provide a variety of benefits to organizations as they move to agile processes. By incorporating cloud testing tools, teams can expedite the testing process and achieve significant advantages in the market.
3. Minimize Expenses
Testing applications is an expensive process, as there are several bugs and issues that arise during the process.
Cloud testing tools allow companies to minimize these expenses. These tools can provide scalability according to the requirements of the company, mitigating the need to use an excessive amount of computing power on projects that don’t require it.
To Conclude
Cloud computing had been gaining a lot of traction before the pandemic, and post-pandemic it has become almost indispensable for organizations.
It is essential to make sure that these clouds can provide companies with all the functionalities and benefits. To ensure that it does, a company has to perform cloud test automation.
This technology provides companies with many benefits such as easy upgrades, cost-saving, security, allowing you to `achieve your organization’s goals, and then some.
Many cloud test automation tools in the market that assist testers in this process. These tools have their advantages, using which testing teams can further refine the process of cloud test automation.
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