Software Testing Services Companies: Alpha, Beta, Gamma Testing Phases

Software Testing Services Companies: Alpha, Beta, Gamma Testing Phases

Each type of below-mentioned process belongs to actual or simulated operational testing and focuses on measuring if a product meets needs and expectations of the end users.

Alpha testing is an initial stage to start software testing. It is performed within the software company, in testing or lab environment, by highly qualified specialists, usually not by developers of the product. It can referred to as a form of internal acceptance testing. Also, in this stage, new functionality can be implemented in the software. Alpha testing is designed only for investigating the program in order to familiarize with its capabilities and find bugs in it, if any.  

Sometimes, the end users can participate in the process. The goal is to perform the tasks that a typical user might carry out. Alpha testing precedes beta testing.

Software testing services companies run this testing early on, just before the program is released to its target audience.

Beta testing is the second level / stage of software testing and is done outside the software organization developing it, not by its personnel. Prerelease builds of the program are distributed to the ends users who validate their functionality, reliability, usability and compatibility. It is known as a form of external acceptance testing.

Beta testing lowers the risk of the product’s failure and provides improved quality of the application by means of customer feedback. Direct feedback is a significant benefit of beta testing. This phase follows alpha testing. It often happens that beta testers find a lot of defects in the programs. In this phase of software production, the development team bears no responsibility for the damage caused to the products when they are tried out by the clients or outsiders.  No testing or lab environment is needed for beta tests.  

Beta testing companies engage a limited quantity of end users in the testing process to check the product in real world environment and decide if it is ready to be shipped to the customers.

Gamma testing is the third and a final stage of software testing, before an appropriate public release, it is conducted primarily for safety purposes. It is intended to identify and fix minor defects that were found during beta testing. As a rule, this process is carried out with the involvement of as many end users as possible. It is also a form of external user acceptance testing. In this final phase of software development, there is no need for going through all the in-house testing activities.

Gamma rests can be run only when the application is ready for deployment to the specified requirements.

Take a look at software testing company list and choose the right provider of testing services – the one which suits you best.