New Skills for Testers

Abstract

In our world, software development and testing teams often work under ambitious deadlines, discovering what needs to be done at the same time as they're discovering how to do (1). On the other front, there is a shift from quality assurance to operational assurance (2). These ever changing and demanding expectations creates the requirement for the development of new skills in testers. In this paper, we will discuss on following points from a tester's perspective: 1. Changes happening in the world of software testing. 2. New skills required - Under this section we will see significance of tester having knowledge and wisdom of using language, and importance of the study of epistemology. I. Changes Happening In The World Of Software Testing There is much debate about how testing will be organized in the near future. The testing profession has evolved from the very first time developers started testing through to separate test phases and independence and then to collaborative testing (2). Volker Weimer, a member of the Board of COR&FJA, says, 'a number of banks are faced with the task of operating in a market that has undergone huge changes over the last few years - and not just caused by the financial crisis. It is this change that I should like to describe using an example: In times of volatile financial markets, new business requirements, such as refinancing through mortgage bonds, or altered customer management processes like online banking and CRM, are in demand. Banks that wish to introduce these facilities quickly and securely need IT solutions that can be integrated with flexibility'. A study shows that, predominantly, small institutions with a balance sheet total of up to 2.5 Billion Euros want to make sure that their core banking software meets not only today's requirements but also tomorrow's (4). Performance features that new, modern software for core banking business should have (4):