Software testing outsourcing: Mercury versus Full Spectrum Software

Software Testing -- to Outsource or not to Outsource:

Outsourcing the testing of a company's new software system is one option for developers over the course of the software development life cycle. On one hand, outsourcing can be costly. However, an external source may spot defects in the system and possible openings to hackers that the developers who are too close to the project cannot -- and thus the company saves more money in the long-term.

The worst scenario, however, is outsourcing the testing -- and finding the testing to be ineffectual and incomplete. One must find a testing company that is a good match for the company and the product, or using in-house testing may be the better option, if no such match can be found. One of the major testing companies is Mercury. On its official website, Mercury proclaims that "Mercury's Application Delivery offerings provide the first business-centric, lifecycle approach to optimizing quality and performance during pre-production" as well as during the implementation phase of production. With a strong emphasis on development from the beginning and a holistic approach, this company would be an excellent choice to use if one wished to have an outsourced testing company 'all the way' over the course of a development life cycle, from pre-production onward. (Mercury, 2005)

In terms of its specifics, Mercury provides a complete, Web-based, integrated system for performing quality assurance across a wide range of IT and application environments. "It includes an integrated suite of role-based applications and best-practices as well as an open, scalable, and extensible foundation -- all designed to optimize and automate key quality activities, including requirements, test, and defects management; functional testing; and business-process testing." In other words, the company trouble-shoots potential problems in the context of the application.