Remote work has fixed a lot, but it's made testing mobile apps a real pain for QA teams.
How do we make sure that developers and testers can use the latest devices? Like iPhones, Androids, and even niche gear like AR headsets from home?
Shipping devices across the world is impractical. And public Cloud device labs can only get you so far.
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You need a flexible way to share common and rare devices across many locations. This is especially true in regulated environments. Like healthcare, that I’m accustomed to working in.
Lately, on my automation testing podcast, there's been a lot of talk about setting up private device Clouds.
Take, for example, my chat with Prakash Gupta from 42Gears Mobility Systems. He's behind AstroFarm. A solution designed to fix the exact problems mobile dev teams face when they can't get the devices they need.
So, what's AstroFarm doing to make life easier for teams spread out everywhere?
After my talk with Prakash, I found out five key things about AstroFarm that help with the headaches of getting devices in the hands of those who need them in big companies.
Let’s check them out.
Here are my Five Key Reasons to Choose a Private Cloud for Mobile App Testing
1. Optimizes device utilization
Optimizes device utilization across hybrid and distributed teams to enable efficient device sharing across locations and time zones.
AstroFarm lets teams, no matter where they are, share mobile devices when they need them.
Everyone can see what's available on a main screen and ask to use something if they need it. The system lets bosses set rules on when devices can be used. So, a team in North America can use devices that aren't being used at night in say APAC. Everything is tagged so you know if a device is in use or free. This way, everyone works together smoothly, without stepping on each other's toes or waiting around for a device.
Whether you're at home or in the office some days, you don't have to wait to get your hands on a device. Plus, tests can run on their own at night across different time zones, with everything organized just right.
2. Provides a private Cloud for Security
Second is it provides a private cloud option for testing confidential healthcare, financial or unreleased software that complies with security certifications like HIPAA and SOC 2.
When it comes to apps that need tight security, you can't be too careful.
Using public Cloud labs for testing can be risky for companies handling private user info. Banks, hospitals, and others with strict rules can't let sensitive data leak while they're working on their apps.
AstroFarm offers a safe space where only the right people can get to the devices.
Plus, it keeps all data locked up tight, whether it's just sitting there or being sent somewhere. It meets tough security standards like HIPAA and SOC 2. These standards are a big deal for industries that have to follow strict rules. This means companies can work on their apps using real, sensitive data. So you can release your app without fretting over breaking any laws before they launch.
So, whether you're growing a health app for iPhones or trying out new banking software for Android, teams can trust AstroFarm to keep their work and user info safe.
3. Handles diverse device types
My third reason is the need to handle diverse device types and accommodates testing needs across Android, iOS, AR/VR, wearables, and rugged specialized devices.
Mobile teams often deal with more than just standard iOS and Android phones and tablets. Industries like manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare utilize specialized, rugged handheld devices built for scanning barcodes or managing workflows in harsh environments.
Wearables like smartwatches and heads-up displays are also gaining more mainstream business use. AR/VR headsets will become vital to application testing as augmented and virtual reality technologies mature. Public Clouds cannot accommodate many of these form factors. In contrast, AstroFarm enables organizations to directly contribute any physical Android, iOS, or peripheral device to create a tailored, private device lab matching their unique testing needs.
Whether you need an AR headset to debug and test a new 3D design app or a wearable ring scanner for an inventory management system, AstroFarm likely has your specialized device covered.
4. Facilitates automation at scale
Forth reason is it facilitates automation at scale and integrates with CI/CD pipelines and test runners to enable large test suites across multiple devices in parallel.
Manual testing just can't keep up with the fast pace and complexity of today's mobile app development.
AstroFarm lets you run big automated test batches at the same time on hundreds of devices in the Cloud. It works with well-known tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, Appium, and Selenium . So this makes it easy to integrate into your workflow.
This means you can start tests on a bunch of phones and other devices all at once. Or overnight or when they're not being used much. Teams save a ton of time because they don't have to run tests one by one on devices physically connected in the office. Automated testing also helps catch problems across the many different devices and platforms developers have to think about now.
Whether executing 1,000 test cases over a weekend or stability testing the latest app release for 72 hours, AstroFarm brings scalable, parallel automation to enterprise mobile dev teams.
5. Offers performance metrics
My last reason is it offers performance metrics and alerts and monitors vitals like battery, data usage and crashes during test runs. Dashboards simplify comparison between test cycles.
Understanding how a mobile app holds up under heavy use is crucial before it goes live, but it's often missed.
AstroFarm keeps an eye on important stuff like how much battery a test device is using. And how much data it's eating up, and if it's crashing. Teams can watch these things happen live. Whether they're testing by hand or automatically. The platform makes it easier to see how the app's performance changes over time. And it has dashboards that show what's normal and what's not.
This way, it's simpler to spot if the app is less stable than before. Especially if the issue is with just one type of device. Being able to look back at detailed records is helpful. It helps figure out why an app might be using too much battery or data—key for making sure users have a good experience. Whether you're trying to fix a lot of crashes or find a memory leak, AstroFarm gives you detailed data and comparisons to help mobile teams make their apps better and run smoother.
Sounds good, right?
Why Do Mobile Testers Need a Private Cloud for Mobile Testing?
About now you may be asking, “Really Joe? Do we really need another yet another service for accessing devices remotely?”
Yes!
Public Clouds have their limits as discussed. And many open-source options prove complex to configure and maintain. Solutions like AstroFarm differ from traditional device lab management tools. How? By offering an integrated Cloud platform that combines intelligent automation and analytics tailored for enterprise mobile teams.
Top solutions often pay more attention to manual testing than to essential needs like big-scale automated testing, keeping an eye on performance, and security. AstroFarm is designed from scratch to offer flexibility, control, and simplicity, bringing to life the idea of a real lab in the Cloud for mobile. It jumps ahead of patchwork solutions, making things easier for developers and testers in today's mixed work settings.
Remote Work Causes Increased Need for Mobile App Testing Solutions
Even as some companies call employees back to the office, remote work is sticking around. This means mobile app development and testing teams need ways to access their device labs that aren't limited by location or time.
As Prakash perfectly put it on the podcast: “A platform like AstroFarm actually allows teams to sort of make the best use of those resources.”
Across any organization building distributed mobile apps, testing cycles and developer productivity inevitably become bottlenecks when devices are locked down in a single office. By bringing the convenience of the Cloud to a robust private device lab encompassing everything from AR headsets to rugged retail scanners, AstroFarm frees enterprise mobile teams from these limitations imposed by legacy workflows. “Now anybody in the organization who has access can very easily…use that device as if they are working on a real device,” said Prakash.
Try it for yourself
The time and cost barriers to quality mobile apps are erased. AstroFarm distinguishes itself where public device Clouds fall short for many enterprise use cases. Its tailored management and automation features let globally dispersed teams forget about device access hassles and deliver better apps faster together.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
