This is the beginning of a long over due blog related to software testing, test management and the progress of the commercial open source application QaTraq. QaTraq, one of the leading software testing tools, has been around for well over 4 years now. The QaTraq project has grown from a very small idea, to an open source success and then on to become the basis of a growing commercial enterprise which is focused solely on providing accessible and affordable software testing solutions.
With well over one thousand test teams down-loading or subscribing every month, QaTraq is now one of the world’s most popular software testing tools. Designed by testers for testers, this is a piece of test management technology that really is accessible to everyone. For that success we all have to say a massive thank you to all the people who have worked on the project over the last 4 years. The developers and testers who have been so committed to the project probably come top of that list. Let us not forget though the numerous number of users who have provided us with feedback, and ultimately, shaped this project and the direction it has taken over the years. To all of you a massive thank you for your support over the past 4 years.
So that might give you an idea of where we have been and where we are now. What can we expect over the course of the next four or five years though? Well from this blog I plan to concentrate on just five distinct areas…….
Firstly, and foremost, we’ll look at the direction the QaTraq project is heading in. We’ll discuss the contents of up and coming releases and some of the requests from our expanding user base for new functionality. The aim of which is to keep all of you informed about where we are heading and what we plan to achieve in the future with QaTraq.
Secondly, I’d like to talk about what we have achieved following the successful launch of our on-demand service. Many companies now offer on-demand test management and software testing solutions. However, with our goal of engaging and supporting the software testing community out there we hope to give you a feel for the progress we are making with supplying an on-demand service to the software testing community.
Thirdly, and probably of most interest to many of you, are the concepts and practicalities of implementing software testing and test management solutions. It doesn’t matter if you have the best solution on the planet. What matters most is how you help users and test teams implement that solution. Every company or test team is different and coming up with ideas and frameworks to help teams implement best practices is key to the success of both our QaTraq project and your testing efforts.
Fourthly, and more than likely, the crux of all of this, are my thoughts about the software testing industry as it stands. With over 15 years in the industry now I hope that I can at least bring the odd insightful comment on the industry as a whole to your attention. I find the software testing arena a fascinating sub component of the whole design and development process. So different from other disciplines in the development life cycle yet so crucial to the success of any project!
Lastly, and possibly of most interest for me personally, are the concepts and principals of managing a distributed team. With the QaTraq project engaging designers, developers and testers from all over the planet the ideas and practice of bringing a distributed team together have long fascinated me. Whilst I know I still have a lot to learn in this area I hope that my experience to date, of managing a successful distributed project team, will be of interest to many of you who have embarked on a similar distributed projects.
So with a lot to say over the coming years I leave you with this beginning blog post and promise you, that whilst you may not agree with everything I have to say, I hope you at least find some of what I have to say of interest.
