How to test IoT products without wasting a fortune
Alex Seryj, QArea
The Internet of Things is a moderately new term that came into the industry alongside progress. Humanity has learned how to build complicated systems. Modern technology forces various things to interact with each other. These things are usually produced by different manufacturers. Networks expand and become messy, writes Alex Seryj, the editor in chief at QArea.
What is IoT? We call an aggregation of internet connections between various digital devices the Internet of Things or IoT. Progress has made complex interconnected systems a reality. If thirty years ago you’d told your grandmother that she would be able to control her TV with a mobile phone, she would probably have just laughed at you. Nowadays, so many things are connected to each other via the internet that we can control nearly everything with a small smartphone.
When the amount of things in the IoT grows, complications become more visible. Two decades ago, computer chip engineers verified their designs fairly easily. The designs became more complicated and engineers had to improve verification methodology. This led to even more complicated IoT testing methods, as more and more sophisticated systems were bonded together.
I want to show you just how big the Internet of Things is today and how many things can be interconnected. Here is a short list illustrating the fragmentation of the industry to date:
- Telemedicine, healthcare, and medication control;
- Smart houses and smart buildings in general;
- Automation of agricultural machinery;
- Monitoring and controlling pets, devices, luggage, vehicles, and other things;
- Security systems and remote surveillance;
- Engineer systems monitoring and building management;
- Energy consumption control;
- Nearly all everyday things.
Manufacturers want to incorporate more features into their products and customers want to feel that the things they purchase are connected to each other. We want more control both as customers and manufacturers. Fortunately, modern technology allows us to have that.
How do we test IoT?
Fragmentation of testing is something that complicates everything. Before, testers had to work with various hardware and software, but the amount of different things involved in testing activities was strictly limited. However, new browsers, standards, OS, and hardware appear quite often.
Today, testers have to consider even more things that need testing. So many things can be connected to each other that it has become nearly impossible to examine every possible permutation. A smartphone controls a laptop and a laptop controls a TV… or is it the other way around?
One of the most important things in IoT testing is ensuring that you have sufficient equipment and devices to play with. Technological advances are going to increase the amount of things that can be interconnected. Testers will have to incorporate more emulators in their testing activities. We will have to either create our own hardware laboratories or rely on outsourcers to conduct some complicated tests involving specific objects. We can’t bring ten different cars and fifteen fridges into the office just to check if they work as intended with our applications. Often times, it’s physically impossible.
What to focus on
Before we talk about saving a couple of bucks on Internet of Things testing, let’s stop for a minute to highlight the responsibilities of the various parties involved in manufacturing a complicated system of things.
Imagine a two-object system: a smartphone with an application that can remotely control your smart TV. We have three parties: a TV manufacturer, a smartphone manufacturer, and a developer of an application.
- A TV manufacturer must ensure that his product obeys declared protocols and allows access to important data so that a developer can make an application that is able to use it.
- A Smartphone manufacturer is responsible for producing a device that is capable of accommodating an application with certain functionality.
- A developer makes an application that can control a TV and access the data it needs to do so.
All three parties are in charge of keeping everything secure. With that in mind, let’s talk about what we must focus on.
Security. It’s not fine if your smartphone can be hacked. It’s not even close to fine if on top of that, all other things connected to your smartphone can be hacked as well. Testing ensures that there are no holes in security.
Usability. Remote control tools should be relatively simple. Testers make sure that the UI is convenient and functionality is intact.
Connection. We are living in the era of the internet, but it doesn’t mean that our connection is absolute. Checking that an application is usable even during downtime of the internet connection is definitely something that we must focus on.
How to reduce IoT testing costs
IoT product development is impossible without Internet of Things testing. It is expensive and becomes even more expensive with more devices and interconnections involved. There are general methods that help you in reducing the costs of testing:
- Make sure that the testing company you work with can perform as many testing activities as possible. If they have to outsource some activities, the cost will increase. However, we stated that it is impossible to convey every single test internally, so do not seek a company that can make miracles happen.
- Some testing can be performed using focus groups or during a soft release. This will allow you to test your application in a more versatile and complex environment. It also can save you some money.
- Be efficient. It is imperative that you choose the right areas to focus your testing activities on. If you develop an application that works with various smart TVs, there is no need to test it heavily with garage doors. This will allow you to save money by cutting out unnecessary tests.
- Conduct some testing internally. There are issues that you can check from within your office. If you can inspect problematic areas for free, it is needless to outsource them.
Remember that the nickel-and-dime style of testing is never a good thing. Do not try to avoid expenses that are necessary.