Cognizant Technology Solutions : Solutions : Communications

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Testing

Challenges:

With next generation networks, broadband, and 3G rollouts, the demand for OSS/BSS and network management is growing rapidly. To keep pace, Communications Service Providers must invest in infrastructure, network efficiency, billing solutions, and improve quality of service. Business users are increasingly impatient with IT systems that fail to solve real business problems or don't perform as specified. More than half of all software projects fail to meet objectives or suffer significant schedule and/or budget slippage because defects are discovered too late, even though up to 40% of project budgets are spent on communication software testing. Studies reveal that finding and fixing defects during test execution can cost 50 times more than during the early requirements phase --and 200 times more if left until production.

Capabilities:

Delivered specialized QA and testing services to over 10 blue chip corporations
One of Asia’s first Usability Labs; Over 200 Usability assignments
Overall 5000-plus software testing professionals across the practice trained in state of the art testing tools
Established Center of Excellence leveraging testing products like Mercury (WinRunner, Load Runner, Test Director), IBM Rational, Borland (Segue) and others .

Cognizant’s Communications Testing group provides a comprehensive set of solutions to help organizations achieve predictable, improved software quality levels while reducing the time and cost associated with testing activities. Cognizant Testing Services offers truly independent verification and validation services: our skilled software quality assurance professionals employ our proven testing methodology to ensure that testing is an integrated part of the software development lifecycle, effectively identifying defects as early as possible.

We understand that IT decision makers must deploy cost effective testing as an integral part of their OSS/BSS applications. Cognizant has a dedicated Testing Services Group to help ensure quality assurance of OSS/BSS/Networking applications. Overall, the testing practice has a team of over 5000plus dedicated SQA professionals who are trained in the latest tools. Testing Services is organized by industry, and invests in building deep domain expertise.

Services:

Independent Functional Testing

Integration, System and UAT testing
Regression testing
Domain specific product testing
Package testing
Mainframe testing
Compliance testing

Test Automation

Data migration verification
Regression and functional testing
Packaged test
Web service automation
Legacy automation
Automation architecture and frameworks

Performance Testing

Load testing
Stress testing
Spike testing
Volume testing
Endurance testing
Architecture benchmarking
Performance monitoring

Software Quality Consulting

Software quality
Test strategy
Test processes
Tools
Organization

In house tools & frameworks
Our Communications Testing group has developed certain specific proprietary in-house tools that help to reduce cost, testing time and effort.

1. TPES: Test Plan Execution System

TPES is an in-house testing tool developed by Cognizant to automate the back-end work flow engine in the OSS. The key features of this framework are:

Easily extensible
Database Field level verification
Consistent Reporting Interface
Easy to maintain and execute
Parallel execution of test cases

TPES Architecture

Java based framework
Uses XML input file to drive the test automation
Validates results via OSS database
Stores test results in My SQL test database
JSP web-page test result reporting
Multi-threading feature allows multiple test cases run concurrently

2. BQAP

The Communications Testing team has developed a framework for BSS Quality Assurance Process called the BQAP for a leading U.S.-based Communications Service Provider. This is a unique methodology that optimizes the entire system testing process of a billing application and offers efficiency by understanding the billing system and offshoring the testing process.

Some of the business results realized include:

Substantial cost-benefit
Compressed time to market which provided early returns on IT investments
Continuous process improvements
Defect tracking and management
Improvement in delivery of business requirements
Flexible staffing based on resource load variations
Standardization of automation tools

Network Simulation for Location Services for a leading Europe based Equipment Vendor more

OSS Functional testing for a leading US based Broadband Service Provider more

Why Cognizant?

At Cognizant, we couple high-end consulting with strong delivery practices thereby providing practical solutions to all problems related to the communications industry. We provide cost effective solutions in the area such as Revenue Assurance, Billing, Order Management, CRM, Portals, MSI to clients around the globe.

Unique Service Offerings:
Cognizant’s testing service offerings such as a product-based maturity indicator and Billing Quality Assurance Process, BQAP help leverage our service offerings to kick-start engagements, similar to a COTS product with minimal customization. We bring to the table a unique mix of functionally and domain-trained resources, tested and mature processes as well as unique engagement models that help achieve steady state in testing within a short span of time.

Leadership
We offer pioneering tools and techniques that define new boundaries for testing. Testing specialists in our Centers of Excellence constantly consolidate and analyze our experience to create innovative new methodologies, tools and processes, implementing best practices which optimize and accelerate testing .

Adaptability
Our unique engagement models and in-depth industry knowledge, raises software quality and lowers costs. Our adaptable testing methodology, combined with deep industry experience, enables us to adapt our services to meet our clients’ unique requirements, seamlessly integrate with internal organizations, and ensure faultless project execution .

Efficiency
Streamlined test management process that deliver predictable and reliable results

Our state-of-art testing center is supported by thousands of professionals who have chosen a career in testing and who are driven to improve the performance and value of IT. We combine the knowledge we’ve gained from a plethora of projects across multiple industries, with a clear passion for testing excellence. Our proprietary and industry-standard test automation tools maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of testing.

Tool Expertise
An extensive knowledge of industry testing tools and open source tools to help deliver testing at lower costs

Our strategic alliances with leading vendors – such as Mercury Interactive, IBM Rational and Borland – and extensive knowledge of tools (including open source testing tools) produce immediate benefits and accelerate the road to optimization.