A new tool from testing and measurement solutions provider Keynote enables developers to remotely test and spot check the functionality and content rendering of mobile websites on a variety of smartphone devices, for free.
The testing tool, DeviceAnywhere Free, uses a simple Web interface that allows developers to interact with their mobile sites on specific types of smartphones, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices. The tool streams the selected device's screen directly to the user's computer screen, allowing the tester to interact with it from their desktop in real time. Moreover, users have the ability to access all functions of the smartphones when conducting tests, including the ability to press and swipe touchscreens, push buttons, view the screen in different orientations and power cycle the device.
It is also important to note that DeviceAnywhere Free allows developers to conduct tests on an unlimited number of devices, with each test lasting ten minutes. During this time, users can spot check their sites and capture screenshots for archiving and reporting. Developers should test their mobile sites on a variety of devices to ensure their sites maintain cross-device and cross-browser functionality. Additionally, users can sign up for testing on a specific device and will be notified when the device is free to begin testing.
"Developing and maintaining a mobile-optimized website has become a necessity as people increasingly use their smartphones as their primary Web browsing device. However, the cost of purchasing and the complexity of maintaining a portfolio of smartphones for testing functionality is a major stumbling block for many website owners. DeviceAnywhere Free gives organizations the tool they need to test, spot check, improve and monetize their mobile site, and for FREE," said Vik Chaudhary, vice president of product management and corporate development at Keynote. "DeviceAnywhere Free combines the ease of the cloud with the power of Keynote's global infrastructure of remote devices for mobile and Web testing and monitoring, so that Web developers, testers and content owners can begin testing immediately on real mobile devices. Keynote has made the power of its DeviceAnywhere cloud testing platform available for free to educate the market about the power of real, remote, manual and automated device testing from the cloud."
Developers can also upgrade to Keynote's Test Center Developer or Test Center Enterprise platforms if their testing needs require deeper insights. Test Center Developer is designed to manually test mobile applications and websites across a wider variety of devices on live carrier networks, while Test Center Enterprise is a mobile testing tool that allows both manual and automated testing and monitoring of mobile applications and websites.