TESTING THE INTERNET OF THINGS
“If we had computers that knew everything there was to know about things — using data they gathered without any help from us — we would be able to track and count everything, and greatly reduce waste, loss and cost. We would know when things needed replacing, repairing or recalling, and whether they were fresh or past their best”. Kevin Ashton (1999).
The above quote by Kevin Ashton an expert on digital innovation describes what is possible in a totally connected world facilitated by the Internet of Things.
The Internet of things is the term used to describe a world where things will be connected to the internet by giving each item a unique identification tag or number. It goes beyond connecting our smartphones, PCs, tablets, TVs and other computing gadgets to the internet.
It means that anything we so desire will be connected to the internet and to themselves; as a result there would be communication between the coffee machine and your phone, your washing machine and your iPad, your kitchen and your PC among other things.
The internet of things is what will power the 4th industrial revolution. Consider the following graphic.
WHAT IoT MEANS FOR QA / TESTERS
Because of the immense opportunities that will be created by the IoT, a lot of applications are being developed to vastly increase the reach of the existing connected world. All these applications need to be tested and certified before they are ready for public consumption.
The role of the testers is thus extremely important because it involves testing hardware, software and the vast amounts of data in real time.
IoT testing areas can be split into two:
The device interaction layer : This is where the real time interaction of the software and hardware components of IoT environment happen. Testing in this layer involves : security, conformance with standards and interoperability.
The user Interaction layer: The touch point between the thing and the user. A critical success factor would be the user receiving a seamless experience. Testing areas in this layer are : network capability and device level tests, usability and user experience, the IoT services and back-end IoT environment.
The following types of tests will be required in an IoT system: Performance tests,Compatibility tests, Security tests and Exploratory tests.
IoT is here to stay and it presents opportunities and possibilities we have not fully comprehended.
Testing as we know it will be stretched and challenged, but I’m sure we will all reap the benefits of a connected world beyond our present reality
For further reading check out the links below
Subbiah M. (2015), The Internet of Things : QA Unleashed, Cognizant.
