Soasta looks to simplify mobile application testing

Startup firm Soasta is looking to simplify the process of developing applications for mobile devices with the release of three testing platforms.

The company says its TouchTest, Labs and Private Device services will allow developers to better test performance and troubleshoot applications on touch screen and gesture-based devices.

Soasta chief executive Tom Lounibos told V3 that the services will aim for what the company sees as a growing hole in the mobile space.

While developers have access to mobile development and testing tools, many lack a method for efficiently testing code for touch and gesture functions, relying instead on feedback from field tests.

"Applications have evolved from a keyboard and mouse into touch, multi-touch and, now, gestures," he explained.

"Gestures are difficult to test because it is about motion, which is difficult for the previous generation of tools to test."

The TouchTest software will look to solve that problem by providing a real-time report, linking a mobile device with the developer's PC.

Actions such as touches and swipes are saved via a series of snapshot reports, which can then be placed on a timeline and compared with results from other devices.

For firms looking to do more extensive testing, Soasta is also offering its Lab platform. The pre-built lab kit contains hardware and software needed to test applications on iOS or Android, scaling from seven to more than 500 devices.

The company is also looking to expand its reach into the enterprise space, with the unveiling of its Private Device testing platform.

Designed for large-scale tests, the platform enlists employee handsets, collecting performance information and providing reports to developers for multiple devices.

Lounibos said that the Private Device platform was originally developed for in-house use when Soasta was working on its other products and services.

"We have about 125 employees and friends and we realised all those could be used as testers, then we began to evolve it into something for the bigger customers," he explained.

"They said this is really exciting because it is going to be so much more affordable than buying a bunch of devices and putting them into a datacentre somewhere."