With the advent of big data and analytics, cloud and mobile, independent software vendors (ISVs) are reconsidering their approach toward product development. In order to sustain, compete and maintain a competitive edge, ISVs not only have to focus on mere product development but also on product testing, upgrades, training and consulting as well as support.

Product testing is a vital phase in every product’s development cycle. A sound product test helps organizations achieve product superiority, which in turn builds brand share, enhances customer loyalty and boosts profitability. Due to frequently changing requirements, coupled with a reduced product development life cycle, testing teams today face the pressure to do more with less cost. This is the time when ISV companies are required to leverage outsourcing options, which may be best suited to provide a solution to their challenges.

Efficient testing partners provide integration, connectivity and synchronization between the suite components and other tools within the software development life cycle (e.g. requirements management, continuous integration, etc.). A well-structured testing partner that understands an ISV’s business and provides consistent service can help reduce their cost and increase the quality of their product – which ultimately results in satisfied end customers.

Outsourcing product testing – increasing the business value for ISVs in different stages

1) Start-ups

ISVs which have just started their business need to show their customers that they are capable of developing and launching their products responsively. Outsourcing product testing can help such ISVs to avail their products to market at a faster rate, reducing the risks which arise at each stage of product launch.

2) Growth

ISVs which are in the developing stage are required to drum up demand and deal with customer challenges. Outsourcing product testing can help carry out cost effective testing, QA and support services.

3) Maturity

ISVs which have already established themselves are required to balance their growth and profits. Outsourcing product testing helps effectively manage development and maintenance processes, which enable ISVs to focus on their strategic initiatives.

4) Re-engineering

ISVs which have established themselves well in a specific market over a period of time using legacy technologies, such as client server, mainframe, Foxpro, Powerbuilder, VB, ASP, need to re-engineer their application using new technologies such as .NET, Android or Java Enterprise Edition, or rewrite their product to a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. Outsourcing product testing helps in market repositioning, thereby keeping pace with new technologies.

Outsourcing product/software testing can thus help ISVs increase their business value by maximizing opportunities and providing the necessary thrust to shorten products’ time-to-market, improve quality, functionality, and performance, and thereby achieve better ROI.

Which stage of an ISV do you think benefits most from independent testing services?