30 Minute Interview

“Unit software testing is the answer to faulty software”

Jerry Rudisin CEO & President Agitar Software

With its vast developer base, India is a potential market for automated unit software testing.

What is Agitar’s role in software testing?

Agitar automates the software testing process. We look at unit testing and help developers measure the quality levels of software. Once code is prepared and written, we enter the quality analysis stage.

Testing can be categorised as manual and automated. The latter uses automated tools such as load generators, and is useful for testing transaction-heavy applications or functions that need to be tested repetitively. Automated testing saves time and effort.

Is there a trend in the area of software testing tools?

Java is the most commonly used language to write software here. Our unit-based testing tools cater to this segment. Earlier, the process of testing was manual. Japan has been an example where automated software testing tools have been popular. Some of our earlier customers were using an open source tool called JUnit for testing. A few of our competitors (such as Mercury) are into quality analysis, but we have chosen to take a different approach, that of unit testing.

Does unit testing differ considerably from conventional software testing?

The entire code is written and then tested for bugs. This involves considerable amount of time, energy and money. Unit testing helps developers to eliminate bugs at the time of writing it. As small units are written, our automated tool detects bugs. So it is easy to fix them while the code is being written the first time. The process is similar to that of building an aeroplane where all components are built and tested separately before the final test ride.

Moreover, testing software and hardware has become sophisticated, and requires in-depth planning and execution. At the same time, the turnaround time for testing has reduced. By outsourcing testing, a company can reduce turnaround time and transfer the trouble of having to find, train and maintain resources with specific skills to a third-party organisation, often at a lower cost than doing the work in-house. Further, an independent testing organisation tends to be software-agnostic as it has not been part of the development process, allowing it to test the software from an independent, unbiased viewpoint, ensuring higher levels of integrity, objectivity and quality.

How does this approach help a company?

This approach allows developers to have control over the code. We have software companies that can now have Quality Level Agreements assuring their customers of a certain quality level of the delivered software. The tool also helps to reduce about 25 percent in software building time.

Third-party testing seems to be picking up in a big way. Do you agree?

One of the biggest factors contributing to this is that third-party testing helps reduce costs by deploying cost-effective onsite or offshore delivery solutions. The perceived risk of outsourcing testing is low. Customers increasingly perceive testing as an objective component to outsource and, hence, it is often the first module to be outsourced.

Independent testing brings objectivity, rigour and transparency to the testing and defect-reporting process. This improves business processes as the domain knowledge and expertise of a dedicated software testing company ensure comprehensive functionality. It also allows customers to focus on their core business strategy.

Another factor that needs to be kept in mind is related to compliance. Due to the high levels of risk associated with maintaining information integrity and avoiding leakage, regulations such as SOX, Data Protection Act, and Gramm-Leach Bliley Act have come into force. There are a few standards that have been adopted in the testing industry. For example, CMMi (verification and validation key process areas), IEEE/ANSI (829 for test documentation, 1012 for verification and validation, etc) and ISO. Third-party testing reassures the client buying the software that the product meets all the mandatory regulations. It enhances end-user or client buy-in on developed applications.

What are your plans for the Indian market?

We started in 2001, and operate in India through channels since mid-2004. We are headquartered in Bangalore. With so many software companies here, we see a number of opportunities. Our initial target will be software companies. Internal IT teams of banks and financial companies are a segment that we will tap, as this sector is one of the largest spenders on IT worldwide. We will also target MNCs with Indian operations. In this, we will leverage our existing overseas customers who have software labs in India. Some of our customers include Cisco, Honeywell, PeopleSoft, Novartis and Union Bank.

Also, with more manufacturing activities being set up in India (take the case of automobile component outsourcing), it is probably not too far when device testing (testing of PDAs, game consoles, smart phones, etc) becomes a large opportunity.

—Sushma Naik