Testbirds redefines mobile testing by offering remote access to thousands of Android devices in the market

Munich, 31 January 2017 – From February 27th to March 2nd, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, testing service provider Testbirds will be showcasing and launching a newly developed testing solution: The Global Real Device Network (GRDN). This new testing solution allows companies and organisations to test their applications and software on practically all Android smartphones and tablets in the market, all through Testbirds’ own testing platform.

In line with last year’s release of Testing 4.0, in which Testbirds combined the strengths of crowdsourced and cloud-based software testing, the testing company now introduces the Global Real Device Network. The GRDN leverages the smart devices in Testbirds’ crowd of 200,000 testers in 193 countries to create unique remote testing possibilities. By connecting their Android-smartphones and tablets, crowdtesters grant access to clients looking to test apps, websites and other software on real-world mobile devices – all while maintaining a high level of data privacy and security. Once connected, the device can be remotely operated for both manual and automated testing purposes.

This new testing solution helps businesses to get true insights from the mobile market in the most direct manner possible – without the need to create, own or even access internal or simulated device farms. Clients get access to real devices of real people, distributed globally. This leads to realistic test results that take into account important local factors such as location-based dependency, language barriers, mobile operability and more. Furthermore, the devices in the GRDN are always up-to-date, since new OSs are automatically updated by the large crowd of device contributors. However, older devices and software versions are available as well, as the new testing solution helps crowdtesters to repurpose older mobile hardware into valuable assets. And even though devices are distributed globally, the remote accessibility feature has been designed in such a way that the testing experience runs seamlessly for clients, as if the devices are at hand.

As with all solutions within Testbirds’ portfolio, data privacy and security are of primary concern, for both testers and clients. To be part of the Global Real Device Network, Android device users need to install a custom made app that establishes a secure IPSec VPN connection with Testbirds’ testing platform. Device contributors have the ability to determine when the device is available for testing and can decide the level of permissions clients have to specific features or services of the device. For clients, testers can be asked to sign the necessary legal documents such as NDAs to help maintain a secure testing process.

“We want to make sure that our clients are provided with the best possible test approaches available. By developing the Global Real Device Network, we’re adding a new chapter to what’s possible within the realm of mobile software testing. It finally allows companies and organisations to remotely obtain the most realistic test results possible, of every GRDN-connected device. Starting with Android smartphones and tablets, anywhere in the world,” says Georg Hansbauer, CTO of Testbirds.

The Global Real Device Network will be first revealed at Mobile World Congress where attendees will have the opportunity to try it out at Testbirds’ stand located in hall 8.1, booth I10. Afterwards, a beta version of the network will be available to clients through Testbirds’ own testing platform.