Beta Testing is a type of Acceptance level testing that comes after Alpha Testing. In this testing, the software is made available to a limited number of end users. The users utilize the software and provide feedback. The feedbacks are reviewed and changes are implemented if required. This testing ensures minimization of product failures and also bug fixation.

Introduction to Beta Stage

In this stage, the software is complete but testing is done so as to ensure that the features are working properly and that there are no bugs. The goal of this testing is to fix the bugs that can pose potential risk to large user base. In this stage developers, testers and a limited number of end users utilize the software and provide the feedback accordingly. There are two types of Beta Testing. The first one is Private Beta Testing in which limited number of testers test the software and the second one is Public Beta Testing in which everyone use the software and provide feedback accordingly.

What Comes After Beta Testing?

After conducting Beta Testing, the software goes through many phases. Some of them are as follows:

1. Small Checks

Different kinds of testing are conducted for quality check. Some of them are as follows:

• Regression Testing: This testing is done so as to ensure that the software works correctly after making changes.
• Security Testing: This is done from the security point of view. This testing is done so as to ensure that the software is secure.
• Compatibility Testing: This is done so as to ensure that the software is compatible across all platforms.

2. Release Candidate or Gamma Testing

Release Candidate or RC is a testing that is done to check the functional and security point of view. It is also known as Gamma Testing or Field Testing. This is the final phase of testing in which the focus is fully on all the fixes that has been done after Beta Testing. This testing is conducted by development teams and QA teams. They ensure that the following things are taken into consideration:

• Fixing Bugs: After conducting Public Beta Testing, feedbacks are collected. The feedbacks are taken into consideration and if any bug exists in any part of software, it is fixed by the team and a whole round of testing is conducted.
• Ensuring Software is Stable: This testing is the final testing that is conducted by the team. Team ensures that whether the software is stable or not. This is done so as to make the software available for general public.

The process to conduct Gamma Testing is as follows:

• Planning: After collecting feedbacks during Beta Testing, planning and preparation is conducted by development teams and QA teams. Here limited teams and external users are involved.
• Testing: In this stage, testing is conducted by the teams. The focus is on areas where the issue has been seen during beta testing.
• Evaluation: In this step, feedback is collected and measures are taken by the concerned teams. In this step teams ensure that no new bug has been found.
• Final Deployment: If the software has passed Gamma Testing, then it is deployed and made available for public. Else, if issues are found, then they are fixed and another round of testing is conducted.

3. After Final Phase Testing

After conducting Gamma Testing, documentations are updated. The teams now plan on to deploy the software and make it available to public users. This is also known as stable or production release. In this stage, no further testing is conducted. If minor bugs are present in the software, they are fixed in the later version of the software and market is updated accordingly.

After the launch of the software, the product is utilized by the users. The teams start working on new versions of the software and also simultaneously maintains the old version. Maintenance includes fixing patches and enhancing the functionalities. For the newer versions of the software, it undergoes through several stages of testing as discussed.

Related Articles

• Acceptance Testing – Software Testing
• Alpha Testing – Software Testing
• Beta Testing – Software Testing
• Difference between Alpha and Beta Testing – GeeksforGeeks

Conclusion

A product usually moves on to the release candidate (RC) stage after beta testing, at which time any last-minute changes and bug fixes are implemented in response to beta test feedback. The official launch, during which the product is made accessible to the larger public, comes next. Following the launch, regular upgrades and assistance are offered to improve functioning and handle any problems that may come up.

Frequently Asked Questions on What Comes After Beta Testing?

Why is private beta testing conducted before public beta testing?

Private Beta Testing is done so as to identify major bugs that might be present in the software. This is done so as to improve the software before making it available to the end users for Public Beta Testing.

Define Alpha Testing.

Alpha Testing is a type of testing conducted by the internal teams of the organization. It is an end to end product testing that is done so as to avoid risks.

What tools are used for Gamma Testing?

Since it is an end to end testing, it involves lots of tools to conduct Gamma Testing. Some tools include:

• JIRA for bug tracking
• Google Forms for feedback collection
• Sentry for reporting crashes
• Google Analytics for analysis of patterns and issues
• Microsoft Teams for team collaboration