What is SaaS testing and how is it performed? Why should testers perform SaaS testing? These and more are the questions we’ll aim to answer in this short read.
What is SaaS?
SaaS stands for “software as a service”, and it’s one of the four models of cloud computing. PaaS (platform as a service), DaaS (desktop as a service) and IaaS (infrastructure as a service) are the others. However, SaaS is quite a vague term and marketing ploys often misplace SaaS as any software application accessible through the web.
SaaS is sometimes also known as on-demand software, or web-based software, and these software applications can usually be accessed through browsers without the need to download or install anything for them to work. Data for these software are stored in the cloud rather than on a specific device, making the data accessible by a user from any device they choose. The most popular examples would be Google Apps, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft 365, and Dropbox.
What Is SaaS Testing and How Is It Performed?
SaaS testing is different from on-premise applications, so there’s bound to be some differences when you’re testing SaaS applications. SaaS applications are accessed through browsers, so web application testing methodologies also apply to them. Usually, this is done by IT professionals. Visit tvit.net/managed-it-services-in-kuna-id/ for more information.
Web application tests like stress and load tests, availability tests, stability tests, and web performance tests are all applicable to SaaS applications too. These tests can ensure that the service is available, usable, and web-optimized at all times to the user by testing it against real-world traffic in cloud environments. Many SaaS applications are also multi-tenant, and testers also need to ensure that the application is stable while many users concurrently read and write on cloud-hosted files.
Security tests are also quite important as many SaaS applications deal with personal and sensitive information. You can hire an IT consultant to conduct an assessment of your network to identify possible vulnerabilities and establish data security protocols. SaaS testing may also include integration and migration tests, and these further ensure that data is migrated privately and securely.
Why Should Testers Perform SaaS Testing?
The decision to offer software as a service and not as a desktop or mobile application is a huge one. SaaS applications are not as easy and as cheap to test. After all, these applications are accessed through browsers, and real-world traffic and other factors will come into play. However, SaaS applications can minimize development and end-product costs, with feature updates being rolled out to all users all at once.
SaaS applications need to be properly tested though, and here are some reasons why:
Quick deployment – Testing a SaaS application will allow developers to deploy updates and upgrades faster.
Cost-saving – Preserving the quality of an application by finding bugs, flaws, and other issues faster can help a business save on costs. Developers can also ask for higher subscription rates for apps that perform better and offer more functionality to its users.
Timely updates – Upgrading a SaaS application happens on a developer’s end, and users won’t need to update anything from theirs. New releases are instantly available to users as long as they can access the service.
User and client satisfaction – Learning how users feel about applications can help businesses create more relatable and usable services. Clients will also feel more secure and confident if they’re working with a business that knows the value of proper software testing.
Some Things to Remember
- There should be a well-defined reason for a business to opt for a SaaS application. The business’ goals must be clear to the developers too.
- Plan the development and make sure that it contributes to the business’s goals and reasons for opting for a SaaS application. You can talk to Andrew Defrancesco if you need an opinion from a business expert.
- Developers should have a high-level of understanding of SaaS methodologies and best practices. Developers with knowledge on multiple technologies are preferred.
- IT professionals must be employed for documentation and support, especially during service delivery. Customer support in the form of call centers should be setup after the delivery.
- Testing may either be in-house or not, but there should always be time and budget to perform proper SaaS tests. If you have slow internet speed, consider switching to EE Broadband for Business.
Conclusion
SaaS isn’t just a web application, though a web application can be considered SaaS if it fulfills the criterion of being scalable, accessible, persistent, and on-demand. It isn’t simply a web application that is offered as a service. You can find out more about web application and SaaS testing here.
Businesses that deal with SaaS applications should have robust, flexible, and well-planned testing processes. With more and more people switching over to using SaaS applications, SaaS testing best practices are becoming more and more important for businesses of all sizes.
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