Tuesday, October 30, 2007. 1:00pm

Many companies’ ability to design and develop advanced applications using Web 2.0 or Service-based approaches has surpassed their ability to properly govern and test these apps. Therefore, the QA organization will be asked to step up to the challenge of ensuring that these critical systems can be trusted to meet business requirements. Testing will no longer be a pre-deployment checkpoint, it will become a continuous process that will demand a higher level of technical and business awareness from the QA professional.

Why is testing, once an afterthought of the software development lifecycle, now increasing in strategic value to today’s organization? Simply put, the technology for delivering applications in a flexible, reusable way has evolved, so the QA organization must evolve with it. To succeed, testers must wear both business and technical hats. Testers must participate in Governance of their enterprises’ IT assets. Created tests literally become business policies, which must be constantly enforced against today’s advanced, ever-changing software.

Will the transition be easy? No. Will everyone make the leap? Many won’t. But for those QA organizations who take on the challenge and evolve, a more strategic role in the business awaits.

About John Michelsen 

John Michelsen

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