Top Software Testing Trends in 2020

We spent USD 3.76 trillion on IT in 2019, and are projected to increase that to USD 3.87 trillion in 2020, according to Gartner. As rigorously as we are developing technology solutions, we are looking at newer ways to test them to ensure robustness in our products, apps, and systems.

Like Software development, software testing has transformed into a super-sophisticated practice that requires highly specific skills and competencies. In 2020, how will we assure the quality of technology that’s supporting our businesses? At the cusp of yet another era of disruption, let’s see how software testing methodologies are shaping up.

See the software testing trends in 2019

Top software testing trends going into 2020

Testing apps for foldable phones

Flip phones are back. Five percent of high-end phones by 2023 will be foldable phones, equalling 30 million units. The foldable phone trend is fast-growing and getting popular among consumers getting nostalgic about their first foldable devices. Several foldable phones have already hit the market before 2020, including the iconic Motorola RAZR.

For their added screen space, foldable phones can be considered here-to-stay in the mobile phone market. For the software and app testing industry, this means testers and QA experts will have to invest more time in ensuring their apps are well suited for the foldable devices. They will have to factor in the extra screen space, the orientation, and the way people interact with the icons. This has relevance for a variety of enterprise products as well considering the growing usage of such products through mobile phones.

Based on their features and functions, all manner of mobile apps might need extra testing to ensure high app performance on these devices.

5G testing

Mobile networks are taking huge leaps. 5G is ready to hit most developed and developing parts of the world. The technology’s promise of coverage, availability, speed, and intelligence has got everyone excited about 5G. Enterprise strategies are rapidly evolving to include IoT, AR, and video streaming to leverage the power of 5G.

To test in the 5G era, software testers will have to check for connectivity between devices and between their operating systems internally. Just as much importance will be assigned to compatibility. Considering IoT initiatives, data security, compatibility, and connectivity will soon become important QA factors.

Network visualization logs and solutions will hold more importance in covering critical 5G scenarios to ensure the robustness and security of apps.

Voice commands testing

Voice commands became mainstream in 2019. Half of all searches will be voice searches by 2020. As the technology becomes part and parcel of life and work, testers will have to bring in voice command testing into their purview. Voice technology has drastically improved, and the next step to enhancement is to make the user experience more outstanding than it already is.

In order to test systems for voice technology, teams will need to use highly sophisticated approaches and testing methodologies. Testers might, therefore, have to focus even more on user experience and the changing dynamics of search. And this could stand them in good stead as the search paradigm rapidly shifts from clicks today to voice tomorrow to, perhaps, gestures after that!

Low code development

To accelerate the pace of software development, Engineering heads are  adopted low-code or no-code ways of software development. According to Forrester, the market for low-code development will reach $21.2 billion by 2021. Today, giants such as Salesforce and Microsoft offer development tools to expedite software time-to-market. For testing teams, this might mean embracing different nuances in the testing, but more tests and wider coverage.

As software development with such approaches takes off software solutions and mobile apps will get released even faster. This means that software testing trends / methods will need to become super-slick.

Smart test automation and intuitive testing platforms might gain popularity in 2020 as a consequence.

IoT testing

We spoke of the possible rise of IoT with 5G. In fact, we are already witnessing IoT implementations and use cases that are propelling businesses forward in the manufacturing, supply chain and logistics, energy and utility, automotive, and healthcare sectors. Expect the use cases to explode in 2020 across a variety of other industries.

The IoT testing market is expected to expand from USD 302.9 million in 2016 to USD 1378.5 million in 2021 at a CAGR of 35.4 percent.

The security of data and applications has been a challenge for CxOs in adopting IoT. For software testers, IoT assurance might translate to checking connection delay, security arrangements, scalability, data integrity, and more.

QA engineers will also be tasked with checking and ensuring the compatibility of several device protocols and versions for efficient connectivity.

RPA testing

Over half of the respondents in a Deloitte survey said they have already begun their RPA journey. Deloitte expects that number to reach 72% in the next two years.

Robotic Process Automation is growing by leaps and bounds. RPA can be implemented for processes that are complex in nature. This is why businesses are finding the technology appealing for its promise of a better-operated workplace, lower cost of operating, and a satisfied workforce.

For those in testing, this means having to test many more RPA-enabled business processes and apps. But that apart, software testers will also need to learn new ways of testing by leveraging the power of this technology. Automation testing tools will need to become more sophisticated to understand how humans’ function and how a human-emulating RPA software should.

Performance engineering to Reliability engineering

Until now, software developers and testers found their peace in ensuring their apps and solutions perform well. Moving into 2020, that won’t be enough. As more products adopt business-critical roles and evolve by moving to the Cloud, ensuring their continued reliability will become critical. Software testers and QA analysts will need to make the shift to reliability engineering. This means experts will be responsible for the dependability of a product throughout its lifecycle.

In simple terms, reliability engineering emphasizes the ability of a product to perform as it was intended to throughout its lifecycle without failure, under a specific set of conditions. The discipline focuses on the estimation of risk, calculation of the probability of that happening, and preventing the risk over the product’s lifetime.

Moving into 2020, the world of testing will become more critical, business-focused, and expert-led. if you foresee complicated testing requirements, look us up. Talk to one of our software testing specialists today to get a view of what 2020 (and beyond) hold for the world of testing!