Capterra Glossary
Beta Test
A beta test, also known as a pre-release test, is the second phase of the software development process in which developers test a software solution with a sample audience. Beta testing comes after alpha testing, which is the initial product testing phase involving unit, component, and system testing. Beta tests allow software platforms to be used for real-world scenarios, helping developers validate their functionality, usability, and reliability. Developers collect and analyze the user experience data to make final changes to the software before releasing it on the market. Typically, beta tests are either facilitated using volunteers or paid subjects.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Beta Test
Tech startups and SMBs that sell software solutions often use beta tests to determine if their product is ready to be released to the public. SMBs on a limited budget can request volunteers that fit their target customer base to test their products. Once they have the beta testing data, they can make adjustments to ensure their product caters to customer needs. Beta testing helps small tech companies maximize the chance that their product will be successful on the market.
Related Terms
- Synchronous
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Intranet
- Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Managed Service Provider (MSP)
- Haptics
- WAN (Wide-Area Network)
- Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Service-Level Agreement (SLA)
- Scalability
- Data Center
- Authorization
- Multitenancy