Software testing drives economic success

Good story here on how software testing as an industry can generate economic growth,

Hunting for the bugs and other goblins that freeze up video games and plague other computer software could be the future of Westbrook. The city is seeking a grant to study the creation of what could be Maine's first testing laboratory to help businesses identify and fix software problems.
Westbrook would partner with local colleges as well as MESDA, Maine's software and information technology industry association, to create a program that would train young people to be part of a growing industry. The goal is to give students real-world experience working on software of outside companies as they move from high school to technology degree programs in community colleges or a university.
Global competition has taken jobs in game testing and quality assurance overseas to places such as India and China, where it can be done more cheaply, said Joe Kumiszcza, executive director of MESDA. But in recent years, technology has changed the testing processes, making it potentially cheaper to do here, he said.
In the last several years, video games have become a huge industry, with companies making profits that rival those of Hollywood studios, Kumiszcza said. He said a software testing laboratory of this kind would be a first for Maine. The laboratory could prepare a new work force and help drive economic development in the state, Kumiszcza said.

Software testing puzzles