Mobile cloud services: DeviceAnywhere by Keynote Systems
American company Keynote Systems is a developer of cloud monitoring services. DeviceAnywhere platform includes complex solutions for mobile app testing and automation of testing processes, along with development, analysis and certification processes.
In the end of 2012 DeviceAnywhere served more than 2000 devices including smartphones and tablets, having real time connection to mobile operators of US, Canada, UK, France, Germany and other countries. The company cooperates with Dell, Salesforce, Google and Microsoft.
Among the services that DeviceAnywhere offers are:
- Application and web-sites manual testing run upon the company`s devices
- Web-site testing upon multiple device with URL input
- Application testing supported with outgoing and incoming text messages
- Calls and messages exchange among several virtual devices
- Full control under device operation process (physical and virtual keypad, touch and slide functions, g-sensor, device restart, battery disconnection)
- Operation upon unlimited number of devices simultaneously (fee per hour)
- Fast screenshot export
- PC keyboard text input
- Scalable picture form device to PC
- Control over audio/video quality (important for slow internet connection)
- Test case manager, business paper organizer
- Automation script creation and processing upon several devices (Enterprise package)
Trial service version offers unlimited free connection to the limited park of devices consisting of 10-15 devices, each session lasts for 10 minutes. In trial version you may work on platforms: iOS (iPhone 4S, iPhone 5), WinPhone (Nokia Lumia 710) and Android (trendy smartphones by Motorola, Samsung and LG).
The picture is quite distinct – imaging and colours are clear, text is readable. When watching HD video you may face some hovering. I haven`t met negative feedback on the service, devices are responsive to every user action, though a bit slower than real smartphones. All the devices operate correctly, without malfunctions in the testing process. Talking about disadvantages, I`d like to point out that you can`t upload apps through Market/Store, when using free version.
In fact, I`d like to say cloud service DeviceAnywhere is a perfect and (even irreplaceable) free tool testing web-sites imaging and running Smoke tests for small ready apps. To hold more profound and serious testing, you need to buy a paid account, that has an increased device park and no 10 minutes sessions. Despite of all platform advantages, think before buying a paid account.
In the next article I`ll give you some points to think over before buying a paid account.
