Beta test for success - How to perform beta tests for TV on the Internet

• Main Author: Fredin, Mattias
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Skolan för datavetenskap och kommunikation (CSC) 2014
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-150412

This master thesis had the goal of improving the development process for services thatprovide TV on the Internet. With the number of companies increasing, the competition hardens in an industry where companies can compete globally across the world and not only in their native countries. To fully compete a company must release products that work, are used as intended, and that people are aware of. These are all areas that are aided by beta testing.Beta tests are often used for services that provide TV on the Internet. The main purpose to investigate in this thesis was how beta tests should be used within this industry. To understand how a beta test should be performed, it was first of all researched how it was being done in the given industry. During the development of this thesis a lot of the focus ended up to be aimed at whom to recruit as a beta tester, what main purposes to pursue during a beta test and what issues exists that are difficult to test for in the given industry.Three different methods of research were used to answer the research questions. The methods were a literature study, several interviews and a case study. The literature study was performed regarding software development process, theories regarding beta tests and other types of tests as well as theories of whom to recruit as a beta test participant and why to involve users in testing. A total of five interviews were conducted with six different individual professionals from three different Swedish companies. The interviews were conducted to find out how and why (or why not) these companies performed beta tests and issues that they have faced with this type of tests. A case study was also performed on an actual beta test in order to see what issues may be found during the beta tests.The results of the research showed that a more useful result from the beta test might be achieved by being careful when soliciting beta test participants. The results also showed that the beta test participants should be from the target market and be a mix ofindividuals that are need driven and individuals that are intrinsically interested. Furthermore the results showed that there are a number of issues that are difficult to test for in the given industry. Many of these issues are dependent on the number ofdifferent versions of devices, different software and different Internet providers and combinations of these. It was also shown that these types of issues should be discovered through a well-performed beta test. Regarding what main purposes to pursue during a beta test it was shown that this should depend on whether the product being beta tested is an entirely new product or a new version, and also if it is an already released product that will be released in a new market. The conclusions were made that functionality testing should always be of main purpose. For a new product or a new market it should also be of main purpose to use the beta test as a marketing tool, while it for a new version of a product should be more prioritized to prove the new concept.It was also found that there are issues with content rights and distribution of the service when it comes to beta testing that should be carefully considered before commencing with a beta test.