With all the new products coming out in the next week at VMworld, here are two announcements that might be worth a closer look: test tools that are based in the cloud. The idea is that you run your test suites from the cloud, so you can share your test scripts and results easily, and get your test beds setup quickly. It is a nifty idea.
The first is from Automation Consultants Ltd. They announced the launch of TestWave, a full-service, cloud-based test management tool. Priced at $150 per user per month, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. TestWave manages the testing of an IT system by enabling teams of testers to store test scripts, analyze results, and record and track defects.
Next up is Ixia, a company who has been around the testing space for more than a decade and offers a wide variety of tools to examine the most complex of data center infrastructures. They have a new product called IxLoad-VM, which measures the quality and capacity of cloud data center components, applications, and networks to deliver effective cloud-based services.
IxLoad-VM works with IxNetwork-VM, which assesses layer 2/3 network performance in virtual environments. IxLoad-VM uses “virtual test ports,” which are virtualized software implementations to measure true quality of experience and capacity loads. Pricing starts at $104,000 for 32 test ports, or one can be rented for a $1,000 minimum 90-day period.
