2020 showed us the world can change suddenly, affecting all areas: the QA industry is no exception. Let’s talk today about the testing trends for 2021!

Security systems

Security has become a key goal. We use the software a lot and become more vulnerable to cyberattacks, so careful security testing at every development stage is vital in creating a product.

Quarantine has changed everything, and now we store a lot of information on work, accounts, and financial transactions on a personal computer. Therefore, an important “security” item will appear in every business strategy, and customers will look for QA specialists who will be able to protect their data.

Testing of mobile applications

The segment of mobile applications has significantly expanded, so in QA, a new challenge. They should ensure the quality of mobile applications and monitor product adaptability, User Experience, and localization. No one will use an outdated program if you can install a new one in 2 clicks.

Test automation

The market fills with products faster than we have time to get acquainted with them. It is now impractical to spend time on long manual testing, limiting the number of interesting projects and satisfied customers. Therefore, the automation of tests comes on the scene, allowing not to spend a lot of time on programming but to cover larger testing areas. Such tools automate multiple and reliable tests by combining artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms into a self-healing mechanism and obtaining consistent results. Of course, it cannot detect unpredictable defects, so manual testing still takes place, and it is essential to maintain a balance between them.

Big Data Testing

Another key trend is big data testing. Healthcare, finance, trade, telecommunications, banking, etc., are constantly dealing with big data, so this service’s demand will only grow. Big data testing helps companies make more effective marketing strategies and decisions. This testing feature is to verify the accuracy of data processing, but not individual parts of the software. But to test Big Data, traditional methods will not be enough; you need a strong strategy and high-quality data.

Internet of Things

IoT is a network in which users can communicate with devices, and devices with other devices, responding to changes in the environment and making decisions without human intervention. Active development of 5G, speed of information transfer, and bandwidth increase will bring IoT to the first steps of popularity. Gartner predicts that by 2025, the base of devices connected to the IoT will reach 21.5 billion.

Testing such a multi-component system is not easy, because in this case, it is crucial to pay attention to safety, simplicity, clarity, functionality, compatibility, and performance. QA professionals should already be beginning to master this testing method to get involved and understand IoT-related processes’ nuances quickly.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Many companies are projected to incorporate technologies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning into their QA strategy. AI and ML help set up complex processes using real-time data, and in the future, they can be used to make predictions about potential software defects. These technologies also improve the quality of testing by quickly detecting errors and speeding up the creation of tests.

AI and ML help companies test software in different ways. And of course, artificial intelligence can more quickly and accurately track existing problems and predict potential issues.

Blockchain Testing

Blockchain is one of the most advanced technologies on the market. It is now used for bitcoin accounting and supply chain management, finance, automotive, and more.

Blockchain is actively changing the world, and Statista predicts that revenues will grow sharply in the coming years. Blockchain involves economic operations, so its primary goal is to ensure reliable data encryption and the highest security level. Blockchain testing is a very responsible job, as there may be security risks involved, but an effective testing strategy is needed to prevent this.

Agile, DevOps and QAOps

Agile is one of the fastest testing trends, centered around continuous development, sprinting, teamwork and communication. Agile will help avoid costly development errors and speed up the release.

DevOps includes both Dev development and Ops operating cycles, which helps reduce the development cycle and improve product quality.

QAOps is a combination of QA and Ops, so it guarantees fast market entry without losing quality. This approach allows for constant communication between testers and developers through the continuous integration of tasks.

To sum up

The IT industry is increasingly demanding speed, quality, and high results.

The major trends in 2021 will be on:

• Security is the most important aspect for both businesses and users.
• Mobile application development.
• Testing automation.
• The interaction of testers and developers at each stage of work is essential for an excellent job.

And now we only have to learn and develop ourselves.

This article is republished from hackernoon.