AUTHOR

Michael Fine

How Many Beta Testers Do I Need?

Test Planning

Read the updated version of this blog post. One of the most common roadblocks when beginning a beta test is determining the number of testers you need. An array of different factors can impact this decision. From the number of people internally designated to support the beta project to the number of customers you have, […]

How Customer Support Can Benefit from Beta

Test Planning

In the battle of product issues, customer support sits on the front line. From dealing with customer problems to ensuring customer satisfaction, they are truly the face of your company. Having an effective and well trained support staff is an important part of any business. As a result, support teams can substantially benefit from being […]

The Ins and Outs of Shipping Beta Units Internationally

Test Management

This week a beta manager emailed us for advice on shipping hardware beta units internationally. As the head of Centercode’s Managed Betas Team, I’ve been shipping hardware beta units overseas for more than two decades and am very versed in the rules, processes and best practices for making this smooth and successful. Given the complexity […]

Holiday Beta Testing, Humbug.

Test Launch

Each year around this time, right as it seems that the world of business is stepping into its short winter slumber, we inevitably receive the same call: “I’d like to get a beta test started immediately!”. Undoubtedly, they’re working on a product for release early in the new year, it’s most likely consumer facing, and they naturally assume that given so many people have much of the holiday period off, it’s a great time to begin their beta test.

Beta Testing LinkedIn Group

Centercode News

We’ve just helped to create a Beta Testing sub-group to the Software Testing & Quality Assurance Group on Linked In. This is intended to be a non-biased place to discuss beta testing process and practices. We’re encouraging open communication on tools, best practices, and any questions you might have (which we’ll be there to answer regularly).

Why Didn’t You Run a Beta Test?

Test Planning

So your company just released its latest product and to the horror of the development team, several critical bugs have slipped into the release. Your engineering team is scrambling to get the issues addressed and support is screaming as they get inundated with calls and e-mail. Everyone is busy pointing fingers, and the common thread among your product reviews, social web commentary and general customer complaints is “Did anyone beta test this thing?” And as the company faces the scrutiny of the press, the public and the customer, the one question that gets asked is “Why didn’t you run a beta test?”

Where Does Beta Belong?

Test Planning

A case could be made for many different departments to own beta testing. Here we weigh the pros and cons of each department's ownership.

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