By Kate Priestman -
Head Of Marketing, Global App Testing
It's difficult to think
of a more momentous 21st Century invention than that of smart technology. From
smartphones to laptops, smart thermostats to smart TVs, our homes are now
flooded with technology designed to make our lives constantly interconnected.
The latest figures show
that nearly 260 million homes worldwide currently exist with this technology.
As with any digital advancement, this is only going to keep increasing. The
same study showed that nearly 480 million homes will interact with smart tech come
2025.
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With this reality almost
unavoidable, digital companies have a massive opportunity on their hands. These
products all exist within a subset of technologies known as the "Internet of
Things". Throughout this article, we'll take a look at what that means, some
examples of these products, and how testing them, as businesses, works.
What Is the Internet of Things?
Before we delve too
deeply into the topic of testing, let's first make sure we're all clear on what
the term "Internet of Things" means. After all, there is very little point in
discussing how to most effectively test something which, in itself, we don't
fully comprehend.
If we outlined the
benefits of similar concepts like continuous integration without first
explaining "what is continuous integration?", then this could lead to miscommunication. Let's
sidestep this confusion with a clear explanation of what the Internet of Things
exactly is.
Quite simply, the
Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a group of products that have originated to
make life more convenient. If that's the case, you may ask, what differentiates
an Apple Watch from a kettle? And does all technology that ensures we don't
have to revert to the lifestyle of cavepeople count as an IoT product?
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Where IoT products
differentiate themselves from household appliances of yesteryear is their
ability for connectivity. If you're one of the 65% of Americans that own these
gadgets, chances are you're already aware of their ability to sync with each
other. This is made more likely if they all come from the same supplier - Apple
or Samsung, for example.
Unsurprisingly, this
ability to create interconnected technological ecosystems presents business
opportunities. From optimizing processes
to taking on the more mundane tasks that no employee wants to have to do, IoT
can be a great business solution.
Deciding which IoT
technology to invest in as well as ensuring the IoT technology you have in
place, all require testing. Now, we'll take a look at how that particular
process works.
How Does IoT Testing work?
Perhaps unsurprisingly,
the approach you take to testing your IoT technology is dependent on both what
it is and what it'll be used for. If you're a company that develops apps, for
example, launching one without running it through beta testing software
would be unwise.
We won't go over any of
these approaches in minute detail, but let's take a look at the main IoT
testing methodologies.
Usability
Usability is the test
done to ensure that your tech is appropriate and can be used as part of the
daily function of your business. If your IoT equipment is impractical or
unreliable, then it wouldn't make sense to choose it.
However, if you invest
in something like a cloud
PBX system, and find that using this
equipment is something that demonstrably makes the jobs of your workforce
easier, then it may well be the product for you.
Performance
Performance testing is
carried out to ensure that the product is performing as it should. If you find
that your technology is working at a lower capacity or isn't doing the job you
purchased it for, then changes need to be made. It either needs to be set up more
suitably, or it may not be the right technology for your particular operation.
Compatibility
If you already have
smart technology in your business, compatibility testing is carried out to make
sure that any new technology that you acquire can respond and interact with
your existing framework. Think of this as an electrical circuit. If one part of
it can't work with the rest of the infrastructure, this can be a real issue to
your operation.
Regulatory
Regulatory testing is
often carried out by businesses in an industry that has independent regulation.
Here, you need to ensure that your IoT meets the required criteria as set out
by the regulatory body. Failure to do so not only undermines your operation but
could result in legal proceedings.
Security
Security testing is
carried out to ensure that the integration of any IoT technology doesn't create
any weaknesses in your business security. Being able to rely on a closed
network of company-specific and sensitive data is a reality for a lot of
businesses these days, especially if you've had past problems with network or email security.
Any IoT needs to be able to enhance this, not create gaps in your defenses.
IoT Testing Tools
Now that we've discussed
what kinds of tests you can run to check the suitability of IoT for your
business - most companies will need to run a variety of the approaches listed
above - let's take a look at how you can do this.
As IoT has become such a
large part of business functions, the need for tools that allow companies to
run testing on IoT has also increased. They differentiate based on whether
you're testing hardware or software, but multiple solutions for both exist.
Integrating these into a larger test plan is a
good move before starting to explore the intricacies of the test whilst it's
taking place.
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If you're testing
software, you could use tools like Tcpdump or Wireshark. The former suffers the
issue of not having a graphical user interface, but both can be effective in
monitoring IoT software in several ways, depending on your testing approach.
If you're looking at
hardware, programs like Software Defined Radio and Digital Storage Oscilloscope
could come in handy. The first tests wireless gateways by imitating receivers
and transmitters, where the latter checks issues with aspects such as power supply
and signal.
Conclusion
Throughout this article,
we've taken a look at what the Internet of Things is. We've also explored why
businesses may want to take advantage of it, how they can test their IoT
architecture and the tools they can use to carry out these tests.
Not everything here is
going to be appropriate for every business situation. However, with smart
technology developing at quite the rate, integration now rather than later sets
your company up for faster, future progression.
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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Kate Priestman -
Head Of Marketing, Global App Testing
Kate Priestman is the Head of Marketing at Global App Testing, a trusted and leading end-to-end functional
testing solution for challenges on building app and QA. Kate has over 8 years of
experience in the field of marketing, helping brands achieve exceptional
growth. She has extensive knowledge on brand development, lead and demand
generation, and marketing strategy - driving
business impact at its best. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.