In-house QA teams continue to be spread thinner and thinner as companies aim to deliver software on faster and faster sprint cycles. While external solutions like crowdtesting and offshoring have long been available, organizations have been reluctant to employ them due to security concerns.
While understandable, these concerns are often based in perception rather than reality. The fact is, there are very secure and reliable external testing solutions and Applause is one of them. How can a company like Applause ensure the security of your software while delivering tangible results? It’s easier than you think.
IP Protection
Maintaining the safety of your intellectual property is essential, so knowing you are covered on all ends is of immense value. Applause issues NDAs to all community members upon initial registration to ensure there is no dissemination of Applause clients, their digital properties, or specific issues.
For clients that require an additional layer of security, they can issue their own NDA in addition to the Applause NDA already signed. Every client and project approaches privacy differently, so Applause is happy to accommodate any further measures to assuage concerns.
Secure Tester Connections
It’s one thing to have the security of an NDA, but another entirely to ensure a secure connection to your testing environment. Applause offers secure connections through a variety of connection types, all of which provide additional layers of security that can ease any concerns you have.
For one, Applause can provide a proxy server with access granted only to whitelisted members. This ensures that only the selected community members have access to the environment, protecting your build from getting into the wrong hands.
In circumstances where security of the pre-production environment is critical, Applause can employ a variety of technologies to ensure a properly authenticated, and end-to-end encrypted, connection.
Vetting of Testers
With respect to external tester quality, companies are often limited in what they know on an individual level and must base their judgement on the team’s reputation as a whole. With Applause, every tester is given a designated rating based on the Applause training courses they have completed (ranging from beginner to expert), as well as their experience completing previous testing efforts.
While rated on their overall experience, testers are further categorized by each testing solution including functional, usability, and more. With tester ratings ranging from Rated to Gold (the highest), companies gain a deep knowledge on the individuals testing their products and the confidence that they will receive quality feedback and insight.
Quality feedback is also ensured through an incentive-based system, as testers are compensated based on the value and quality of the bugs they submit. This encourages testers to go above and beyond the “happy path” of testing and provide value where others do not, eliminating complacency from testers.
Internal QA teams need help now more than ever. With internal demands growing and less time to meet them, companies need to look outward for help – and security concerns should not prevent them from getting it. Find the results you need with the security you demand all in one place – Applause. It’s the safest decision you can make.
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