Beta Without the Bother: A Different Approach to Beta Testing

Occasionally, beta testing requires minimal involvement by the user company.

As marketing manager for Teradata products and services, Randy Lea influences the product management group, which has ultimate responsibility for beta programs. To help ensure that a tight production schedule is met, product management sometimes hires NCR 's own professional services arm to perform beta testing at a customer's location. NCR consultants install beta code and manage testing in the customer's environment.

Lea says this relatively new approach serves several purposes. It brings NCR's professional services staffers up to speed on the latest release, it enables them to observe the customer experience directly, and it strengthens the user/vendor partnership through the vendor's physical presence at the user site.

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