In this post, Sr. App Dev Manager Susan Leighton explains how Microsoft Testing Services leads to improved DevOps outcomes.

As you move through the application development process on the way to your planned deployment, have you ever felt any doubts regarding the quality of your solution?  Have you ever wondered if you considered all the use cases for functional testing?  Have you wondered if you defined the right types of loads for load testing?  What about regression testing – was it completed to the depth needed?  And usability and accessibility testing – are you comfortable checking them off?  Do you have a test strategy – and is it effective?  Is there room for improvement in any of these areas?  Will my users be delighted?  Ask yourself, am I ready to ship?

What about important events?  Maybe you aren’t actually deploying a new version of your app, but you need to ensure your app can handle some unusual upcoming forecasted load – like a big holiday retail event, a public election, or a sporting event.   What kind of load testing – which operations, which functions, from which locales, etc. – should be performed, and how much load should be tested?

Microsoft offers a service to work with you on all of the above concerns, removing the anxiety from your processes and allowing you to focus on a successful deployment or an “uneventful” important event.

Microsoft Testing Services is a global practice with almost twenty years of experience.  Working with thousands of customers around the world, the services are delivered by a highly-skilled team of experts including best-in-class certified test consultants.  Through remote delivery of services sourced from 6 worldwide locations and/or on-site field-based delivery, customers receive support starting with a definition of the services being recommended based upon your specific situation and needs.  Employing quality engineering and application lifecycle and DevOps best practices, Microsoft Testing Services generates actionable, detailed insights at the end of each engagement.  All Microsoft technologies are covered for testing and optimization services, and strong relationships with the associated internal product groups ensures a channel for feedback from the field in order to influence product roadmaps.  In addition, non-Microsoft solutions are included as well for testing services.

On a smaller scale, Microsoft Testing Services is also available to help customers with ad hoc test-related questions or conversations if you are seeking advice.  The Quality Advisory Services umbrella covers those types of smaller requests but can grow in alignment with your needs.

Here are some of the customer outcomes after using Microsoft’s Testing Services:

• Automated test suites accelerated test cycles time by 50%.
• Process automation reduced labor costs and customer response times.
• High-quality integrated solution was delivered in a very dynamic environment with stringent timelines.
• Solution Performance testing and tuning not only resulted in performance optimization of integration but also provided insights on performance bottlenecks in 3^rd party integration services.
• Delivered a scaled-up system that can run jobs across all regions – in parallel.
• Delivery focus resulted in a performant solution – bringing down operational overhead, manual intervention, and the possibility of errors on top of the best user experience possible.
• The testing services reduced total cost of ownership, eliminated data duplication, simplified support, and established global testing standards.

An important piece of advice to bear in mind is around timing – the earlier you can engage Microsoft Testing Services, the better you can position yourself for a successful deployment or event.  Microsoft Testing Services covers the Initiate, Analysis, Design, Develop, and Deploy stages.  A pre-planning discussion with one of the organization’s architects can result in a concrete plan with regard to the type(s) of testing to be performed and the optimal timing for each type to be initiated.

Simply stated, the risks associated with your deployment or event will be better managed with better testing from Microsoft Testing Services.

Stop worrying!  Contact your Microsoft representative today for more information.