Software testing FAQ - No. 25

Is there any evidence that convergence in the Telecoms sector had any impact on testing tools?

That question was sent in by Harbhajan Singh.

Well, that is an easy question to answer. The short answer is Yes. The longer answer is:

The convergence going on in the Telecoms sector that has led to triple-play (a marketing term for the provisioning of the two broadband services, high-speed Internet access and television, and one narrowband service, telephone, over a single broadband connection: Wikipedia) and quadruple-play (throw in wireless services as well) has already had an impact on testing tool. Incidentally, I wonder why the marketers chose triple and quadruple rather than the simpler three and four. No matter.

The tool I am thinking of is the Sunset(R) Modular Test Toolkit (MTT) from Sunrise Telecom, which for the first time lets technicians validate IPTV and VoIP over DSL service. Now if that is not converged triple play impact I am a monkey's uncle. Probably not the right metaphor, all things considered. But I think it provides the emphasis I wanted.

Software testing in the Telecoms sector