Ensuring Quality through Mobile Applications Automated Testing It has been a long since the simple mobile phone has transitioned from a mere medium of communication into a multi-purpose, personal gadget that is ultimately replacing most of the digital and electronic devices. The increase of mobile devices across different operating systems and platforms, have made it more stimulating for developers to design and release all compatible applications. Mobile applications need to be tested so as to ensure that they run on the foremost operating systems and across several networks. The best way to ensure the quality of a mobile application is through test automation. There is an amplified need for mobile application test automation for refining its efficiency and speed. A well implemented automation strategy can enable the testers and developers to reduce efforts and the time to market. Though, there still stand some challenges in this:   
Hardware Challenges: These are the challenges faced in memory size, processing speed and differences in communication protocols. Device Challenges: These include diversity in browsers, platforms, display rendering and different runtimes. Network Challenges: These challenges include multiple network types, multiple network operators with custom features, variable connectivity speed.
Mechanisms for Test Automation of Mobile Apps
User Based Automation: This method makes use of the user agent add-ons that come with desktop browsers. Here, the functionality can be automated by using popular automated testing tools such as Selenium, LeanFT, QTP etc.
Lab Based Automation: This method involves leveraging simulators and devices in a test environment by using open source testing tools.
Cloud Based Automation: These solutions are offered as a unified package. They are highly operational as they support web based cross platform quality assurance.
Principles for selecting the right mobile testing tools:
Create appropriate time saving framework by identifying and grouping cross platform reusable scenarios. Considering how the testing tools will integrate with the test management environments. Choosing critical tests for native apps that can run across releases. Also ensure its multi-browser compatibility and cross browser re-usability. Perform the feasibility of the test tools considering the variety of mobile technologies and platforms. While determining the form factors always consider all the form factors.
Selection of both platform and devices simulators can help optimize the test runs on different platforms. Determine the ROI for each platform and the stretch of time of execution. Consider data driven automation support; this increase iterative executions which in turn increase ROI. As most of the mobile projects are Agile, consider the early implementation of test automation. Regression tests, smoke tests, user acceptance tests, compatibility tests, synchronization tests, GUI tests and cross platform tests are good candidates for test automation as they have repetitive business logic.
Conclusion: The fundamental principles and the success factors of mobile application test automation are different from those for conventional applications. Devices, test coverage, environment, tool sets and the differences in the associated supporting factors add to the intricacy. Effective and efficient test automation of mobile application requires an astute approach and a well-arranged strategy. Bugraptors is a CMMi5 evaluated testing company providing Web and Mobile Application Testing services. It is a fast growing company testing mobility spaces in diverse fields like health, retail, technology, etc.