Sound investments in technology require accurate, timely and reliable information. Aggressive rollouts from sales brochure to purchase order to deployment often result in unexpected surprises, costly outages, wasted resources, decreased productivity, lost time, missed expectations, rework or additional outlay to rectify the problems. Considering what's at stake, investing in new technology without a strategy for risk minimisation is a recipe for disaster.

Each vendor always has the best and only products and buyers must beware of things like quality variations, product idiosyncrasies or over-investing in wasted resources, capacity or future-proofing. Selecting the right products that work together as expected can be an overwhelming task.

Testing is a practical results-oriented approach to qualifying outcomes and minimising risks.

Proof-of-concept Testing
Proof-of-concept testing allows an initial risk free evaluation of the proposed product or solution. It is used to demonstrate the feasibility and basic functionality of the concept, experiment with potential options and gather sufficient information to begin deployment planning and design. Proof-of-concept testing takes place in a test lab or development site on a small scale mock-up of the proposed solution.

Acceptance Testing
Acceptance testing is a rigorous process to determine whether the proposed product or solution complies with necessary technical standards and specifications and is fit for purpose as intended. It is typically performed on a sample product, as an independent entity or from an interoperability perspective within an end-to-end system, in a controlled test lab environment. Acceptance testing aspects will include functionality, performance, interoperability and conformance. It is also used to determine scaleability constraints, operating stress and load limits and to identify flaws or deficiencies. Acceptance testing is often linked to commercial acceptance, where approval forms a major payment milestone.

Once the product or solution meets the acceptance criteria it is approved for use independent of unit quantity or location, conditional on the intended purpose. Further criteria may need to be meet before the product is acceptable for future applications. In addition, product modifications such as revision upgrades will also be subject to acceptance testing.

Prototyping
A prototype is a more complex trial of the planned network, proposed service offerings or new applications. Prototyping is usually a fully functional test of part or all of the end-to-end solution. It is used to prove the design and optimise configuration to get the greatest benefit out of your project's deliverables. The prototype may also be used to develop and confirm implementation plans, migration plans and service descriptions.

Staging/Pilot
Staging provides an opportunity to test and configure all components before they arrive on the customer's site. It is used to integrate, configure and test site-specific software and hardware, burn-in equipment, label units, assign numbering and addressing plans, record serial numbers, create backup images and perform scenarios such things as for disaster recovery planning. Staging is a critical step in out-of-the-box turnkey installations.

Pilots and field trials offer opportunities to gather vital information about end-user experience and operational knowledge, before ramping up to full-scale deployment. Pilots are used to evaluate end-user feedback to functional and performance characteristics in a real-world environment. This information is used to optimise technical and operational processes and develop targeted marketing campaigns.

Commissioning Testing
Commissioning testing is used to verify new installations are ready-for-use and meet the necessary operational requirements to carry production traffic. Commissioning tests check network connectivity with neighbouring nodes, traffic flows as expected, management systems have visibility to gather alarms and statistics, and that deployment practices and procedures have been executed in accordance with the design and implementation guidelines. Successful commissioning testing may form the official handover from implementation into operations, and is often associated with a major payment milestone.

In-service Testing
In-service testing is an essential operational capability that allows you to instantly and remotely check, diagnose and troubleshoot faults and performance issues. Automating in-service testing processes and systems enhances visibility and knowledge of live platforms, simplifies complex troubleshooting and maintenance, prevents unnecessary no fault found dispatches, reduces manual intervention and streamlines service assurance work. Pre-emptive in-service testing reduces downtime and increases productivity to meet SLAs and deliver greater customer care and satisfaction.

There is little doubt that introducing new technology is a complex and difficult activity with many associated risks. Testing provides a mechanism that facilitates a smooth transition onto new technology by delivering a number of benefits.