Beta Testing: Types, Advantages & Disadvantages

 Beta Testing is performed by "real users" of the software program in a "real environment" and it can be regarded as a form of external User Acceptance Testing. It is the final test before sending a product to the clients. Direct feedback from customers is a significant benefit of Beta Testing. This testing can help to examine products in the client's environment.

Beta version of the program is introduced to a limited variety of end-users of this merchandise to obtain feedback about the product quality. Beta testing reduces product failure risks and provides increased quality of this product through client validation.

Key Points About Beta Testing:

• Beta testing is performed by Customers or End Users who are not employees of the organization
• Beta testing is performed at a customer location or end consumer of the merchandise
• Reliability, Security, Robustness are checked during Beta Testing
• Beta Testing normally uses Black Box Testing
• Only a Couple of Weeks of implementation are demanded Beta testing
• Beta testing also centres on the quality of the product but gathers users' input on the item and ensures that the merchandise is ready for real users.

Kinds of Beta Testing

There Are Various Types of Beta tests in applications testing, and they are as follows:

Conventional Beta testing: The product is distributed to the target market, and related information is gathered in all aspects. This information may be used for Merchandise improvement.

Public Beta Testing: Software/application is publicly released to the outside world via internet channels and data could be gathered out of anyone. Based on opinions, product improvements can be accomplished. By way of instance, Microsoft conducted the biggest of Beta Tests for its OS -- Windows 8 before releasing it.

Technical Beta Testing: Software/application is introduced to the inner group of a company and gathers feedback/data from the workers of the organization.

Focused Beta: The product is introduced to the market for collecting feedback on particular features of the app. For example, the significant functionality of the program.

Post-release Beta: The product is introduced to the sector and data is gathered to make improvements for the upcoming launch of the item.

Benefits of Beta Testing

• Reduces product failure risk via customer validation.
• Beta Testing enables a business to test post-launch infrastructure.
• Enhances product quality via customer responses
• Cost-efficient compared to similar data gathering procedures
• Creates goodwill with customers and raises customer satisfaction

Cons of Beta Testing

• As compared to other testing kinds which are usually executed inside a company in a controlled environment, beta testing is executed out in the actual world where you rarely have control.
• Finding the right beta users and maintaining their involvement could be a struggle.