The key to success is to think beyond the obvious, to innovate and look for solutions: Manish Gupta, CEO, TestingXperts, a Next-Gen Quality Assurance & Software Testing Company

• Please tell us about the journey of TestingXperts – what was the idea behind its conception and what has been the key growth enabler for you in this journey?

TestingXperts was founded in 2014 with a vision to become the world’s largest and most trusted Digital Assurance and Quality Engineering company. TestingXperts founding mission was to meet the evolving demands of quality assurance and software testing within a rapidly advancing digital landscape. In a world where many believed that software testing would become automated or handled by developers, we saw the crucial need for specialized technical testers. We recognized that software testing is the anchor in the continuous delivery of software, and now, with our strategically positioned offices in the UK, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Singapore, Dubai, and multiple delivery centers across India, we are one of the top key players in the software testing market.

Positioned amongst the Top 5 largest pure-play QA and software testing companies worldwide, our key to growth has been our innovation-led approach, with the help of which we have consistently kept pace with industry trends, invested in cutting-edge technologies, and nurtured a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering high-quality testing solutions. By focusing on client satisfaction and consistently surpassing expectations, we have established ourselves as a leading player in the global digital assurance landscape. The key is to think beyond the obvious, innovate within our field, and always be on the lookout for new solutions and opportunities.

• The Role of Software Testing in the Digital World.

Software testing is the cornerstone of delivering high-quality products and services in the digital world. It ensures that every digital offering operates flawlessly and consistently exceeds customer expectations. Speed is paramount in the digital world, and software testing accelerates product development, allowing us to bring products to market faster. Product downtime is not an option for business and software testing guarantees that the products are robust, reliable, and stable, which reinforces customer trust in the industry as a whole.

Similarly, cybersecurity is a top priority for any business, ensuring the protection of digital assets and customer data. Compliance with industry regulations is non-negotiable, and software testing ensures companies stay on the right side of the law while safeguarding their customers.

Investments in software testing have proven to translate into substantial cost savings. Identifying and rectifying issues early in the development process not only saves money but also ensures a wise utilization of resources. The ability to pivot and scale digital services swiftly gives businesses a competitive advantage and software testing is fundamental to agility, enabling businesses to adapt to changing market conditions and seize opportunities quickly.

• What are the challenges being faced in this field – while establishing it and running it?

The rapid pace of technological advancement presents an ongoing challenge for software testing companies. Keeping up with emerging technologies and development methodologies can be resource-intensive and time-consuming. With the shift to cloud-based, microservices, and containerized applications, the testing environment becomes complex and dynamic. Ensuring compatibility across platforms and configurations poses a significant challenge.

The adoption of CI/CD practices means that testing must be continuous and automated, requiring testers to adapt to faster development cycles and acquire new skill sets. There’s a persistent shortage of skilled software testers, particularly in the next-gen technology-led software testing. Attracting and retaining talent can be difficult for companies.

• How vital is software testing in the AI-driven, digitally transformed world of automation – why do we need to include it in our strategy and planning?

AI systems, including machine learning models, make critical decisions and recommendations. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of these AI models is paramount. AI heavily relies on data and ensuring data quality, integrity, and consistency is a crucial task. Data pre-processing and validation are necessary steps to make AI models work effectively.

Integration of software testing in the software development life cycle helps identify and rectify issues that could lead to incorrect predictions or decisions, minimizing the risks associated with AI tools. AI models are susceptible to adversarial attacks and robust security testing helps identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in AI systems, protecting them from cyber threats and ensuring the safety of automated processes.

Testing is not a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing process. Regular testing and monitoring are necessary to identify issues that may arise as AI models and automated systems evolve. High-quality, well-tested AI-driven automation can provide a competitive advantage. Organizations that can rely on their automated systems to make accurate, secure, and efficient decisions are better positioned in the digital marketplace.

• What are the growth prospects, opportunities in this field?

As businesses continue to digitize and rely on software applications for operations and customer interactions, there is a growing need for robust quality assurance and testing services. For example, the rise of AI and machine learning applications introduced a new set of challenges and opportunities in testing. Specialized testing for AI models and algorithms, including performance, bias, and fairness testing, is on the rise. Additionally, as businesses are accelerating their digital transformation and app modernization initiatives, the criticality of quality assurance and quality engineering is becoming paramount. As many businesses are expanding globally, testing for localization and globalization is essential to ensure software and applications function correctly with regional compliance and in diverse languages and regions.

• What is the trend forecast for software testing for 2024?

According to Global Market Insights, the software testing services market is expected to grow to $90 BN by 2032 at a CAGR of 5%. There are various trends driving this growth. Below are few trends for reference.

Digital Transformation: The growing digital transformation initiatives across large enterprises, have prompted organizations to reassess their approach to Quality Assurance (QA) within the context of digitalization. The convergence of DevOps and QA is giving rise to a novel framework known as “QAOps.” QAOps upholds software quality by applying a DevOps-inspired mindset to QA processes, thus ensuring that the development and testing procedures align seamlessly.

Digital Immune Systems: A Digital Immune System is essential in the digital world as it protects applications forms security risks and bugs by making applications more resilient so that they can recover quickly from failures. Testing is one of the critical parts of DIS as it brings everything together and makes sure the DIS system is working effectively.

Artificial intelligence: Certainly, AI is transforming the landscape of Quality Assurance (QA) by leveraging automation and machine learning. While many anticipate this shift, implementation has been limited, creating a demand for skilled professionals in AI-based testing. The role of QA engineers is evolving, and recent advancements include AI algorithms for generating better test data and predictive models for informed decision-making. These innovations are shaping Testing Centers of Excellence, indicating a pivotal shift in the industry.