DeviceAnywhere Makes Mobile Application Testing Faster And More Cost Effective With The Expansion Of Its Device Integration Technology Portfolio
Industry Leader in Mobile Application Testing to Offer a New Level of Flexibility and Choice with New Software-only Handset Integration
(San Mateo, CA) – October 7, 2009 – In response to the growing and diverse needs of over 2000 customers across the globe, DeviceAnywhere™, the industry leader in end-to-end mobile application testing and monitoring, today announced its plans to enhance its Direct-To-Device™ technology portfolio to include two software-only integration options. These new options will offer unique benefits for several emerging, as well as existing customer segments and usage scenarios, such as rapid handset certification and handset field testing, pre-load application testing on pre-commercial handset hardware, and Smartphone focused application testing.
DeviceAnywhere has traditionally provided handset integration and remote handset access using a hardware-software approach, called Direct-To-Device™, in which electrical connections are made to the various interfaces of handsets. Software is utilized to remotely control these electrical connections, providing full remote access and control of physical devices. Direct-To-Device has redefined the process of mobile application testing for over five years, is a widely standardized technology across the mobile ecosystem, and currently supports more than 3,500 handset models across the globe.
Now, with its new software-only integration approaches, termed Direct-To-Device Smartphone and Direct-To-Device™ EXPRESS, DeviceAnywhere aims to offer new as well as existing customers additional device integration and remote access options that are purely software- based. These new approaches provide customers the benefit of a lower total cost of ownership of the DeviceAnywhere solution, coupled with faster handset turnaround, lower device replacement cost, and rapid device hardware upgrades. Customers will now have the option to simply “plug-and-play” their own handsets into the DeviceAnywhere solution.
The two new software-only handset integration technologies are described below:
1) Direct-To-Device™ EXPRESS - This option is an ideal choice for those groups within mobile operators and device manufacturers that are responsible for handset testing and certification, and preload application testing, especially when such testing is to be performed in very short timelines, or on handset hardware that is still under development. Direct-To-Device™ EXPRESS controls a phone over its native data cable, either via a small-footprint software agent, or through AT commands, and captures outputs from the handset via a video camera and Bluetooth audio capture.
With Direct-To-Device EXPRESS, DeviceAnywhere will offer full support for new handset models in a matter of days, and customers will be able to “plug-and-play” handsets of supported models to their DeviceAnywhere setup in a matter of minutes. This technology reduces the total cost of ownership of the DeviceAnywhere solution for customers, and enables DeviceAnywhere to provide handset integration and remote handset access for the latest devices faster than ever before. Customers on short testing timelines, such as operator handset certification groups, or customers requiring multiple and rapid replacement of handsets, such as handset development and testing groups within operators and handset manufacturers can leverage this cost-effective technology for their testing projects.
2) Direct-To-Device™ Smartphone – This approach supports the growing need for application development, testing, and monitoring on the Smartphone platform and is offered in a SaaS or licensed model. A small-footprint software agent operates on the device that is being tested and can accept commands over the Internet providing pure software based remote handset access and control.
Users can “plug-and-play” their own Smartphone devices from within their own firewalls, and instantaneously start testing across a wide range of handset models. This technology is ideal for companies that are developing and supporting applications (either web-based or downloadable) primarily for Smartphones. This can include:
- Enterprise mobility applications
- Consumer applications targeted at Smartphone platforms (e.g. stock trades, business travel, etc)
Users can also write and execute automated tests on Smartphones connected either locally to their own PC’s or to a separate server. This allows users to both send inputs to the device (e.g. key presses) and receive outputs (e.g. video output) on their computer screen, or save as test results. This technology option is currently Generally Available, and supports the following Smartphone platforms: Apple iPhone OS, Android, Palm WebOS, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and Symbian.
With this expansion of its core technology portfolio, DeviceAnywhere now has the unparalleled ability to offer ‘hybrids’ of the above three integration approaches, marrying the best approach applicable for specific customer needs and business requirements. For example, DeviceAnywhere will also offer a combination of Direct-To-Device EXPRESS (to control most aspects of the device under test), and Direct-To-Device (to control external hardware interfaces like the battery, charger, data cable, etc.)
All DeviceAnywhere products (Test Center™, Test Automation™, Automation for Smartphones™, MonitorAnywhere™, and DemoAnywhere™) will continue to work seamlessly across its three underlying handset integration and handset access technologies.
“As our user base grew, we started to see a diversification of usage needs and priorities,” commented Faraz Syed, CEO and Co-Founder of DeviceAnywhere. “In response to this, we have expanded our technology approach to offer two software-only handset integration approaches. Our patented Direct-To-Device technology is mission-critical for so many companies, and with the addition of these new approaches, we are extending our reach to an even larger section of the mobile ecosystem.”
Availability:
- Direct-To-Device™ EXPRESS – Generally Available in Q4 2009.
- Direct-To-Device™ Smartphone – Generally Available now.
- Direct-To-Device™ – Generally Available now.
