Why Your Company Should Invest in Installation Testing Services

Installation testing, also known as implementation testing, is a critical step taken by software engineers to ensure that a software application provided by their company has been installed properly. It is actually one of the most important tasks for engineers to check off after software development and testing. The reason for this task’s high level of importance is that a user’s first interaction with an application or product must be positive and smooth-sailing. There are few things more frustrating than taking the time to install an application, only to realize that it is buggy or unable to function properly. 

To help companies gain a better understanding of the service and how it functions, LogixGuru experts have compiled a guide to installation testing and services. In addition to this, LogixGuru offers a fully-equipped lab to perform installation testing for companies to help them avoid bad PR and lost sales from dysfunctional software installations. Read on to learn how this service can help your company reach an upward trajectory in the software industry.    

A Brief Overview of Installation Testing

So what exactly is installation testing? And what are the necessary steps taken to ensure that a successful test has been performed? 

An installation test verifies whether or not a software has been successfully installed with all of its necessary components. There are various types of installation testing available, including:

• Automated installation, where the only user actions required for installation usually include entering a password and accepting a license agreement
• Manual installation, a testing performed with considerable user participation and without any installer help
• Clear installation, which is performed without the interference of factors such as an unstable OS mode or files from previous installations of the program
• Self-installation, an automatic installation that does not require a manual start 
• Silent installation, where there are no windows or messages displayed during testing

Good software engineers will use a combination of these tests on different machines in order to conduct a thorough testing process. 

Steps Taken During Installation Testing

The software engineer tasked with performing an installation test first examines the steps that a customer may need to take in order to install the software successfully. They will also check to see whether there are other versions of the software on the target machine and if it can be easily installed over the internet. Some companies may even require an installation test for mobile apps depending on what services they offer. Uninstall testing may also be performed to ensure that all of the software's components are successfully uninstalled after being uninstalled. 

Software engineers may also check for things such as:

• Whether the installation instructions are correctly displayed on the installer
• If the software is verified for disk space on different systems such as FAT 32 or NTFS
• The amount of available disk space on the target 
• If there is an option for users to choose an installation directory
• Whether the provided installation options can be selected or deselected

Typical Challenges and Considerations Faced by Software Engineers

Not all installation testing will be conducted exactly the same way. Sometimes, a test will need to be run on a diverse system environment containing several different configurations. Or the installation will need to be validated under numerous system running conditions. When testing an application on multiple test cases within different configurations, software engineers must be prepared to set aside extra time for this more time-consuming step. Some software engineers may even get off to a slow start if there is a lack of defined test coverage criteria to follow. 

Why Your Company Needs to Make Installation Testing a Priority

Installation testing is a critical step in the software testing life cycle (STLC). It is one of the last steps taken to ensure that the software functions properly and will please customers and make them eager to return to your company for future services and needs. If your company’s software comes incomplete or glitchy, it is unlikely that your customers will want to work with you again in the future. This may even give your company a bad reputation within the industry, further discouraging people from working with you. 

Installation Testing Services for Companies

Installation testing requires companies to use various browser types and versions, OS versions and add-ons, mobile platforms, connection speed combinations, and more in order to conduct a successful test. These costs add up quickly and can easily turn into an expensive task for a company to undertake without external help. It is usually easier and more cost-effective for companies to hire an external company that specializes in installation testing to perform this task instead. 

While relatively simple and straightforward, installation testing is critical to a software company’s success and reputation. A dysfunctional and glitchy software package can critically hinder a company’s income and sales. That is why all software companies must implement this step into their software processes if it is not already being done. To ensure a thorough installation test has been conducted, it may be best to hire an outside firm to assist your company. For more information on how LogixGuru can help your company develop installation testing, contact one of our team members today.