Internet of Things (IoT) Testing – Challenges and Considerations

Posted ON 11 Jan

The performance and behaviour of the IoT service is largely dependent on the device application and the communication module. With the advancement in technology and application of Internet of Things (IoT) in day to day life, it has become important to ensure that there is effective communication among the devices.

IoT Testing and QA Opportunities

IoT testing has become important because of its implications at different places.

For retail bill payments banks have starting using NFC payment tags
Apple pay technology is based on NFC, where user can use multiple credit cards to make swift payments
Using telematics you can keep an eye of the driver behaviour
With integration between bank accounts and applications, you can make smart financial transactions
Payment through Google glass or a wearable device

IoT Testing and Challenges

It demands too much effort and difficult to replicate the actual environment.
There are various subsystems and subcomponents that are interrelated with each other and an issue with any one of them can affect the whole system.
Substantial effort among multiple teams is required to get the right test data.
Gadgets involved in IoT might not be available every time.
Compatibility factor
Complexity issue
Security challenges
Safety concerns

IoT Testing Best Practices

IoT service requires intense testing to meet the requirements. Some of the best practices that can ensure successful IoT testing are discussed below.

For efficient implementation, QA must focus on good testing approach. The basis of IoT testing is also defined by well structured requirements, comprehensive test plan, unit testing, and integration testing.
Use of new platform can ensure effective communication. Use of cutting edge tool, consoles, viewers, and simulators can ensure successful execution of the project.
A good understanding of the architecture, OS, and hardware can help design good test cases.
A robust backend can be easily tested using the normal testing approach, tools, and methods.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has enabled the organizations to strengthen their customer engagements by connecting various IoT applications. However, the number of connected elements is expected to explode in the coming years. With the advancement in IoT based application, there is a challenge in validating connected IoT applications, which includes its support for data volume, velocity, variety, and veracity.

360logica has developed a comprehensive and unique testing strategy to tackle any challenges associated with validating IoT applications. 360logica makes use of the real devices, tools, and frameworks to perform testing of IoT applications. The IoT test framework developed by 360logica can be easily integrated with various platforms and IoT protocols. The in-house tools can be used to recreate real-time scenarios and when combined with simulators, can facilitate enhanced automation. Our in-depth expertise and offerings make IoT application testing hassle-free and simple. We facilitate end-to-end coverage of the testing by:

Defining test strategy
Validating user experience across multiple channels
Connectivity and interoperability validation
Using real devices and simulators for performance and scalability validation
Cloud security and device validation
End-to-end automation