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by Randall W.
Rice
Abstract
Traditionally,
testers have been behind the development curve in defining and adopting
new test strategies. This article is a strategy-level overview which
describes the background and future of wireless technology, the major
risks and critical success factors, an overview of the technologies
used to deliver wireless applications, and a strategy for testing
wireless applications.
Wireless
Technology is More Than the Wireless Web
People
are using wireless
technologies to build long-range wireless
networks and perform short-range personal wireless functions. Some of
these wireless applications are extremely critical in terms of risk.
For example, mobile applications allow medical professionals to view an
EKG chart and
other diagnostic data using pagers. Wireless scanners help stores keep
track of inventory levels.
Regardless
of the application and specific technology, wireless applications
require a unique testing strategy that can be identified and
documented. In addition, although the future of the wireless web is
hard to predict in terms of when and how it will actually take off, it
is time to start thinking about the implications of testing wireless
applications. Even if the wireless web is very slow to gain stride,
many businesses will be building and deploying other types of wireless
initiatives to serve customers better and more efficiently.
Some
examples of other types of wireless applications beside the wireless
web and M-commerce include:
- Handheld
devices for applications such as inventory control and
shipping
- Pagers
for instant messaging and data delivery - even for applications such as
medical diagnostics
- PDA
applications to sync with notebooks computers and to
perform functions such as automated hotel check-in and check-out while
in the hotel
- Peer-to-peer
applications for workgroup collaboration and gaming
- Wireless
networks to allow maximum flexibility in workspace
configuration
How
Wireless Applications are Developed
To
develop a test strategy for wireless applications, we need to know how
they are developed in terms of tools and technologies. We don't have
time in this article to cover all technologies, but some of the major
ones include:
Wireless
Access Protocol (WAP) - An initiative that was started
by Unwired Planet, Motorola, Nokia, and Ericsson to define a secure
specification that allows users to access information instantly via
handheld wireless devices such as mobile phones, pagers, two-way
radios, smartphones and communicators.
Bluetooth
- A short-range (up to 10m) 2.4 GHz radio
technology aimed at simplifying communications among Net devices and
between devices and the Internet. It also aims to simplify data
synchronization between Net devices and other computers. Products with
Bluetooth technology must be qualified and pass interoperability
testing by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group prior to release. The
Bluetooth 1.0 specification consists of two documents: the Foundation
Core, which provides design specifications, and the Foundation Profile,
which provides interoperability guidelines.
XML
- Extensible Markup Language - allows designers to create their own
customized tags, enabling the definition, transmission, validation, and
interpretation of data between applications and between organizations.
WML
- Wireless Markup Language is an XML language used to specify content
and user interface for WAP devices. WML is supported by almost every
mobile phone browser around the world. WML pages are requested and
served in the same way as HDML pages.
WMLScript
- Scripting language used with WML to allow interactivity on WML
applications.
It is
important to understand that just like web applications are often built
using a combination of technologies such as XML, Java, and Java Script,
so are wireless applications. The mix depends on the application
objectives, project objectives and business strategies.
Wireless
application developers use development tool kits provided by the
wireless device vendors, such as Nokia, Ericcson and Motorolla. These
development kits also contain simulators that allow developers and
testers to test wireless applications in a controlled environment.
The
Big Picture - How M-Commerce Applications are Delivered
The
above figure shows how the M-commerce user conducts a transaction. One
of the major differences between this model and the E-commerce model of
recent years is the prevalent use of a mobile wallet to facilitate fast
and secure payments. Like the E-commerce model, integration is the key
to making the business side of M-commerce work.
Primary
Concerns and Risks of Wireless Applications
A very
useful starting point for a test strategy is to examine the risks. For
wireless applications, the risks are:
Correctness
- Like any other application, if the information is not correct, people
will abandon the application.
Usability
- Wireless applications shrink the user interface to the extent that
two concerns emerge greatly when dealing with wireless usability.
1.
Interface - The display size of wireless devices is often very small.
This affects readability and feature sets in a big way.
2.
Ergonomics - Wireless devices are compact and have smaller keys for
input. If you have small fingers, the issue is lessened, but if you
have fingers that resemble small sausages, you need another way to
input data beside your fingers.
Security
Even
though WAP, WEP and other security protocols are designed to be a
secure technology when used correctly,
there is a big difference between knowing and doing when it comes to
security.
In
addition to the street threats, there are also the security issues of
what happens to the transaction at the gateways, which are controlled
by nameless, faceless third parties. Peer-to-peer computing also holds
risks for the privacy of data sent between devices.
Performance
Performance
issues can result from a variety of sources including:
Slow
infrastructure
One of
the most pressing challenges in wireless applications is the growing
demand on bandwidth. This demand grows daily as new users are coming
onto the web and as businesses increase the quantity and quality of
media content, such as streaming media.
There is
considerable discussion as to whether or not third generation (3G)
networks will ever become a reality in the U.S. In addition to slow
networks, the reliability of wireless connections leave much to be
desired. It's one thing to be able to decipher a garbled voice message,
but another to transmit a stream of data across the same faulty
connection.
Client
bottlenecks
Performance
problems can also be traced back to client bottlenecks in WAP
applications as well as hardware limitations with the wireless device.
Integration
As in
any robust application, wireless or otherwise, integration often plays
a major role in the ability of the application to deliver correct and
efficient results. Wireless integration concerns include:
- Online
wallets for fast and secure online payments
- Business
systems which must handle the transactions generated by
wireless devices
- Other
devices which receive data from wireless devices:
- Notebooks,
which may sync with PDAs
- Vending
machines, which my provide inventory control data to an
central business system
- Handheld
units, which may transmit inventory or shipping data to
central systems
- Web-enabled
phones, which my send data to other cell phones such as
with instant messaging
Flexibility
People
want to make the most of their investment in wireless technology and
are often cautious about hardware and applications that may become
obsolete in a year or less. Therefore, flexibility is a very important
issue to wireless users. Flexibility in this context can include:
- Ease
of upgrades to software and hardware
- Application
flexibility with various hardware and wireless operating systems.
Profitability
This is
an opportunity to apply some of the lessons learned from the recent
dot-com boom and bust experience. Wireless providers must be able to
prove that the envisioned users will actually buy the applications and
services under development. In addition, the wireless development
companies must be able to survive until the wireless market can support
the new technology and pray that a new technology does not catch on and
render their product or service obsolete.
Some
questions that should be asked about any project include:
- Does
the application solve a problem effectively and easily?
- Is
there a customer base?
- Can
development costs be recouped quickly?
A
Testing Strategy for Testing Wireless Applications
Now that
we have examined the basis of wireless applications and the risks of
wireless technology, let's look at a strategy for testing wireless
applications, regardless of the method of application.
The
major items to consider are:
- Type
of Wireless Application
- Audience
Demographics
- Technologies
Used
- Tools
- Test
Execution Strategies
Type
of Wireless Application
Some
possibilities include:
- WAP
- M-Commerce
- Workgroup
- Personal
productivity
- Peer-to-peer
- Business
system integration
- Entertainment
The type
of application will determine the type of tests you will need to
perform.
Audience
Demographics
This
will dictate the types of testers you will need to get a representative
assessment of usability.
- Age
(The most likely acceptance group for wireless apps are teens!)
- Geography
- This applies to issues of localization as mobile applications are
deployed in a variety of countries.
- Web
comfort level - This will determine the important of usability factors.
Technologies
Used
This
will determine the type of test environment and tools you will need.
- WAP
- Bluetooth,
etc.
- XML,
WML
- Security
protocols
Tools
- WAP
Simulators by hardware vendor: Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola
- Capture/Playback
- such as TestPartner by Compuware
- Performance
Testing - such as QA Load Compuware
Test
Execution Strategies
Pilot
tests
- Other
countries - With early deployment in other countries, it is possible to
introduce a product to a smaller and more remote audience. You can
practice in a small room!
- Limited
user base - This type of test would include usability testing with a
small number of users to get an assessment of initial usability.
What
Does This Mean for Testing Wireless Apps?
It's
a small world after all!
User
interfaces tend to be much smaller than other applications, which
translates into smaller test cases.
There's
a large part of testing wireless apps that is like other testing.
This
includes tests for validating the integration of transactions, platform
portability and integration testing, and having a basis for testing
such as use cases and/or requirements.
Wireless
test strategies can take many forms
Just a
few of the many flavors include M-commerce, data collection and
delivery, entertainment and workgroup collaboration.
Tools
can help
This is
especially true in regression and load testing.
The
test lab is greatly different than the real world.
Simulators
are great, but you need to test also with real people in real-world
conditions.
Summary
- Dos and Don'ts of Testing Applications
The
world of testing wireless applications is growing and changing daily.
I'm sure that within a few weeks, I will learn even more considerations
for this rapidly changing technology. In the meantime, here are my
closing thoughts.
Do:
- Ask
questions early about application feasibility
- Remember
that wireless technology is still very young
- Perform
early usability testing
- Be
prepared for an onslaught of new development when people and the
technology are ready.
Don't:
- Forget
that you still need something to base tests upon, such as use cases and
requirements.
- Forget
that much of M-commerce is based on integration between organizations.
- Forget
your audience.
I hope
this article helps in your search for information on testing wireless
applications. I would like to hear about your challenges and success
stories. You can e-mail me from the contact
page.
All materials on this site
copyright 1996 - 2008, Rice Consulting Services, Inc.
Rice
Consulting Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 892003
Oklahoma City, OK 73189
405-691-8075
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are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort,
which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is
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