Software products present a testing challenge by virtue of the customizations they need to undergo as per customer requirements. Each customization is a different customer build and requires ad-hoc testing compared to an application testing, where the deliverables are clearly identified. A typical Verification and Validation (V & V) model would work for testing an application however it requires more than a V&V model to test software products. It is imperative to monitor risk and market trends during the course of Development and Testing and hence a V&V model cannot be the perfect answer to a testing methodology for software products.

Product testing is also challenging due to the fact that there are issues related to:

• multiple releases
  
• unknown number of users and usage environment
  
• cross-platform adaptability

The market impact and the associated risks are much higher in case of a software product as compared to an in-house application. Also there are issues related to scope of reusability and the maintenance cost of testing.

SNS, as part of its product testing philosophy for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) insists on a thorough study involving System Design, Architectural design, QA release builds, and business functions. The study also focuses on gaining good insight into the customer business domain as well as the business usage of the product. Furthermore, a clear understanding of the interaction scenario and user class and profile is a must.

To meet specific demands of software product testing, the product testing cycle at SNS involves:

• Product Requirements Study
  
• QA Process Mapping (Product Testing)
  
• Team Management and Planning
  
• Test Execution and Quality Measurements (Metrics), and
  
• Rollout - to ensure a quality product aligned with the customers internal quality processes.

The complexities described above definitely make a compelling case for an independent third party for a more effective testing.