In this digital world, the mobile phone has transitioned from its traditional role as a mere communication medium to that of an essential multipurpose personal gadget. Considering this transition and high acceptance among mobile end users, mobile application landscape is growing abruptly across all business verticals. On the other side, mobile app development poses generic challenges including diversity of device/platforms, hardware complexity, application complexity, carrier network issues, compressed software, development schedules and organisations have end up with automating mobile testing to stabilize applications to maintain customer base.

A well-orchestrated automation strategy enables hardware manufacturers and software developers to reduce their efforts and accelerate time to market. The primary factor that determines an automation tool’s success is its ability to work across platforms and technology stacks. It is also important that the tool integrates lifecycle aspects such as continuous integration to enable quicker release cycles.

Key feature attracting towards selecting automation approach is considering the benefits of programmable, repeatable and reusable, reliable and comprehensive, increased productivity, cost reduction, superior application quality. Apart from these attractions, there are few challenges identified both in technical and business aspects, which are considered while automation tool selection. Technical challenges includes large number of test cases, API level test execution, verification of UI control, handset specific features where as business challenges includes reduced time to market, first impression is the last, increasing cost of QA cycles, high cost of onsite testing in target network, procurement of large number of devices at multi locations.

Considering afore mentioned points, Appium tool is used as part of ensuring product quality for our mobile applications. When we say automation, it is not limited to QA but also to the development team, which could potentially help prevent defects at the source and improve product quality in an effective way.