The Software Testing Wheel – Idexcel Testing Roundup

1. The Software Testing Wheel

The Agile Zone is brought to you in partnership with JetBrains. Discover how to increase change awareness, code quality, and maintainability through straightforward code reviews, with a simple, lightweight workflow.
We made a software testing wheel to answer these questions based on the ISO standard for software product quality. It concludes that the quality of a software product is the weighted sum of different quality attributes which are grouped up into several quality factors. For example, performance efficiency is a factor that is composed of time behavior, capacity, resource consumption, etc. [Continue Reading…]

2. Top 13 Tips for Writing Effective Test Cases for Any Application

Test cases are very important for any project as this is the first step in any testing cycle, and if anything goes wrong at this step, the impacts get extrapolated as you move forward in the software testing life-cycle.

Knowing how to write good test cases is extremely important for you as a testing resource and believe you me, it doesn’t take too much of your effort and time!

You just need to follow certain guidelines while writing test cases or as they call it – follow “test case writing best practices.”

In this article, I am going to talk about some simple yet effective tips which you could use for writing effective test cases. [Continue Reading…]

3. Software Testing is Monotonous… Oh Really?

Sunny afternoon, an IT company, two testers at the vending machine –

Tester 1: This job sucks. For a whole day, I keep executing the same test cases that I did yesterday and still most of them are failing. The product manager is not happy with me because test cases are failing and I am clueless about what to do.

Tester 2: I agree. I am facing same problem too. I do not find anything new to do. I am expected to write test cases every day and whenever I present new ideas, they get rejected with different excuses.

Tester 1: I am searching for a new job, which would give me an opportunity to grow and explore… … …. [Continue Reading…]

4. What Flaky Tests Can Tell You

Imagine this: You are a programming tester who creates automated end-to-end tests for a web application. You use good, modern technology—say, Selenium WebDriver. You consider code a thing of craft, using page objects to separate the tests from application logic. You make use of virtualization and use adequately powered machine hardware. You also understand how end-to-end automation is a team effort, so you work with application developers, testers, and managers in concert to get the most value out of your work. And yet for all your good work, you still have a recurring problem: flaky tests.

These are tests that pass or fail unexpectedly for reasons that appear random. Flaky tests become even worse as test suites grow and more areas of an application are covered. Eventually there comes a temptation to throw up your hands, yell, “This is stupid!” and throw the whole end-to-end test suite into the trash bin.

But are flaky tests really a problem? [Continue Reading…]

5. Discussion: How to differentiate myself from other Testers in the team?

I am responsible for testing an enterprise web application, what other things of high value can a tester do to stand out of the crowd. Apart from obvious activities like test data creation, test case execution, bug reports…what other initiatives can a QA engineer , take which will help raise his value to the project/Client.

This might seems like a subjective question, but i need valuable advice..that i will definitely try out in my project and see if its bringing more value and making me more productive. [Share your suggestions here!]

Idexcel Recognized as TAPFIN Premier Partner

January 21, 2016    

tapfin
We’re thrilled that our IT staffing division has been recognized as a TAPFIN Premier Partner for 2015, proving that we’re doing excellent job at seeing how IT industry is moving and preparing our clients well for it,” said Anand Allolankandy Director Sales & Delivery.

About Idexcel :

Idexcel is an innovative global provider of IT services, solutions and products focused on emerging technologies such as Cloud, Big data, Analytics and Mobility. Idexcel’s deep domain expertise in various verticals has helped us acquire and work with many Fortune 500 companies. The depth of our technical solutions is facilitated by strategic partnerships with leading technology vendors and system integrators. Through these alliances we are able to deliver competitive and competent solutions to our customers.

RSA Conference 2016

Date : February 29 – March 4, 2016

Location : San Francisco, CA

Venue : 747 Howard Street, The Moscone Center

RSA Conference 2016 is your best opportunity to connect with the technology, trends and people that will protect our digital world. Based on feedback from past attendees, we have increased Expo hours, expanded session times, and added more Learning Labs and Crowdsourced Sessions. Plus, we’ve created new programs such as Birds of a Feather Sessions, Focus-On Series and much more.

rsaRSA Conference is helping drive the information security agenda worldwide with annual industry events in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Throughout its history, RSA Conference has consistently attracted the world’s best and brightest in the field, creating opportunities for conference attendees to learn about IT security’s most important issues through first-hand interactions with peers, luminaries and emerging and established companies. As the IT security field continues to grow in importance and influence, RSA Conference plays an integral role in keeping security professionals across the globe connected and educated.

RSA developed RSA Conference in 1991 as a forum for cryptographers to gather and share the latest knowledge and advancements in the area of Internet security. Today, RSA Conference and related RSA Conference branded activities are still managed by RSA, with the support of the industry. RSA Conference event programming is judged and developed by information security practitioners and other related professionals.

RSA Conference 2016 is now open for registration. Don’t miss this opportunity to join thousands of industry professionals at the premier information security event of 2016! Register today and take advantage of the biggest discount on a Full Conference Pass!

Register Now

8 Reasons IT Certifications Still Matter In 2016

Despite the issues associated with IT certifications, they can give you a leg up on the competition and advance your IT career.

Five years ago, I posted the following Facebook update to friends and family: “Passed my 20th Cisco certification exam today to recertify all my professional level certs for three more years. This may be the last time I bother.”

But here were are in 2016, and I’ve taken four additional certification exams since that post in 2011, when I questioned whether certification was worth the effort. Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the certification process. But in the end, the career benefits of having technology certifications far outweigh the amount of time and effort put in to earn them.

It is true that the value of some IT certifications is far greater than others. And I’ll concede that there are real problems with people gaming the system to become certified “on paper,” but still lack any true knowledge or skill. I will also say that experience trumps certifications almost every time when comparing qualifications between IT professionals. All that said, there still are several substantial reasons why IT certifications still matter in 2016. Continue reading…

Tips for Recruiting Top Tech Talent

In today’s fast moving world, technology seems to be the buzzword. Every sector, industry and every enterprise is seeking fresh talent with sharpness, alacrity and an expertise much better than it’s competitors. With ever increasing demands for technological experts, it is indeed becoming a task to find the right talents for the right industries. The Information Technology field in particular which has taken the world by storm faces this crunch fiercely. There is a tough competition among the hiring companies to hire the best talents in the industry. On the one hand, freshers are enticed with high salaries that seem enormous, and on the other, the experienced staff often walk away with outrageous office perks. So what can the organizations do in order to upgrade their creamy layer of top tech talent?

There are numerous views and strategies of experts who seem to have come up with certain guidelines for recruiting the top talents.

Keeping in touch with tech talent is very essential. In order to achieve this, attending meet ups regularly is a must. Such meetings are often the right places to find smart and interesting personalities that suit the company’s needs. Building relations play a very important part in recruiting talents. Another enticing factor is offering referral incentives to current employees. It is a fact that if the current staff is really happy working with and for the organization, and they feel taken care of then they are sure to refer the best people. Similarly, referral cheques are an added bonus.

Social media and social networking is a boon in the present days to find potential candidates. Instead of looking just at the resume of a prospective candidate, it helps to go beyond and check the candidate’s social media profile like LinkedIn and Twitter. This helps in formation of a relationship too. A requirement posted on a friend’s wall on a social networking site is bound to get reposted or tagged and hence attracts many more applicants. The fact that these sites are free makes it even more helpful. Most people especially in large companies aren’t fully engaged with their jobs or satisfied. So instead of waiting for a talent to seek a company, the company can hire a talent through a professional network like LinkedIn. Finding the one with the right credentials, getting in touch with them through a private message makes the whole job of finding the right talent very interesting. It also becomes a flattering experience for the candidate who is more excited about the interview process rather than someone who has found an opening scouring the internet for jobs. Likewise advertising through a popular medium like You Tube creates an interest and curiosity. A video that incorporates the techies of a company helps the candidates get a fair idea as to how the team functions, the type of people in the team and the company culture.

As and when a need arises, it is important to hire ‘quickly’. It is understandable that the company cannot hire the first candidate that walks in but at the same time, eligible candidates cannot be asked to wait for months together for a response. Also extending certain additional facilities for female staff that are immensely talented widens the chances of hiring the best.

Some companies believe that marketing through the current staff go a long way in influencing recruitment. Sending out current employees to networking events to spread the word about the company, sharing their positive testimonials and having them speak to the candidates in the comfortable space and technical language makes it convenient for a new candidate to walk in confidently. Candidates could be attracted to a company sometimes by showing off a company’s present staff. Also through this, a personal connection with the company gets established even before the candidate actually joins.
Some recruiters strongly believe that professionals often have strong personalities and are used to being sought after rather than seeking out. Hence making contacts in the local communities and tapping the local market enhances the chances of getting the right talents at the right time.

Helping the employees to develop new skills is also critical to attract top talents. Information Technology is one of the industries that move very quickly and it is imperative for the staff to keep themselves updated and relevant.

A few years back, hiring offsite employees with great technological expertise was a difficult task. But these days, advancements like cloud computing and video conferencing have opened doors to hiring remote staff. Hence geographical proximity is no longer a necessity to hire the best talent. The search could be easily expanded far and wide.

Stealing top tech talents from top companies with salaries and perks works but not always. It is always better to let them know that you are genuinely interested in hiring them. If they are unable to join, it makes sense to ask them if they can refer equally strong and committed candidates like common friends, ex-colleagues and so on. This would increase the network too.

While these were a few tips to recruit fresh talent, it is equally important to retain the existing talent. While most companies are busy looking out for new talent, they should not allow the existing employees to slip away because there are other employers constantly enticing bright talents. Promotions and perks for the existing employees would go a long way in retaining the ‘Brand ambassadors’ of the company.

8 Tech Resolutions To Make In 2016

Most resolutions revolve around physical self-improvement—diet, exercise, and the like. Why not take a breath and tend to your digital health as well? Here are some ways to make your online life a little more manageable, so you can take better care of your colleagues, customers, and friends.

Use A Password Manager

Every time there’s a security breach we are warned to choose new, unique passwords for affected apps and websites. If you’re not gifted with an eidetic memory, good luck remembering them all. Password managers can store passwords for your email, banking accounts and social sites like Facebook and Twitter. LastPass and LogMeOnce are a couple of good options. Continue reading…

5 Secrets To Corporate Social Media Success

Social media is an excellent platform for businesses to interact with customers, employees, candidates and prospects in real time. Companies use external media platforms to interact with customers, influence customer opinions, provide target offers, reinforce brand values and service the customer more effectively. In hiring, social platforms help in reaching out and engaging with prospective employees in a more systematic manner. A successful social media strategy is a growing necessity in the world of branding. Most brands have their official webpages advertised on popular social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter.

There are about five secrets every company can follow for its success.

In social media, it is important to interact with customers and prospects in real-time but in order to create brand communities to facilitate these exchanges, the organization has to decide what is right. While Facebook and Twitter are the most used platforms, a comprehensive social media strategy should incorporate additional platforms like LinkedIn that helps in business networking and in hiring, industry-specific platforms like travel forums, special multimedia sharing sites like YouTube. These additional social media platforms are the places where customers, prospects, employees and candidates talk about the company.

It is necessary to establish a two-way communication model. Social media is meant to be helpful. It should help customers, clients and even competitors. But companies that use social media just to disseminate information to customers may not be as successful as those companies that use it as a two way communication medium. The two way communication methods could be posting questions and surveys related to the company as well as other general topics of interest. Requesting and getting customers, prospects and employees to share their queries and experiences regarding the company’s products. Setting up customer service pages and query pages with promise of prompt and quick response is another effective method.

One of the huge advantages of social media is that the content created there will pay dividends over time. Every blog post, photo, video and webinar made by the organization will continue to generate page views and awareness into the future. But at the same time, it is crucial to retain control of content being posted on behalf of the company. This is especially true of the companies that outsource their social media asset management to advertising partners. Under such circumstances the companies should retain complete editorial rights on what is being posted on their behalf.

It is crucial for companies embarking on social media initiatives to set targets, measure performance against the targets and then compare their performance against competitors. This can be done by sharing of social media conversations for the company as against the competitors. Positive and negative sentiments for the company as against competitors can be tracked. The monthly increase in the number of social media followers and the number of resumes being sourced on social media and the number of positions closed can be highlighted. Average time taken by social media users to respond to comments in the form of a positive feedback or customer service issue can be noted.

A company should never restrict itself only to a single social media or a single area. It can consider a minimum of 3 social media outposts with each one emphasising a different area every quarter. By doing so, it remains fresh for its fans as well as the internal team.

Companies that incorporate these strategies always reap the maximum benefits through social media initiatives. An overall increased followership on social media sites and increased brand share can be witnessed. It may not happen overnight but may happen with time. Improvements can be witnessed in the sales. Improved customer satisfaction can be achieved. Lastly, a large number of customers, prospects and candidates can be reached at a lower cost, marketing campaigns can be executed faster and hiring also becomes faster.

ITEXPO 2016 – Discover The Next Frontier of Communications

Date : January 25-28, 2016

Location : Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Venue : Greater FT. Lauderdale/Broward Country Convention Center

WHAT IS ITEXPO?

See What’s Next in Communications Solutions

Everyone from engineers and IT/telecom managers to C-Level execs and business owners will gather in Florida for ITEXPO – the only event dedicated to communications solutions for the enterprise mid-market, resellers and service providers.

The ITEXPO conference program will focus on topics that are important to everyone who wishes to learn about and stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, regulatory issues, essential issues, and trends in communications technology. [Know more about the Conference]