People, process, and technology are critical for succeeding in the software development business, which is increasingly characterized by fierce competition, rapid product delivery cycles and relentless demand for more differentiating features that are secure and high quality. The key is to stay in the "driver's seat" and constantly balance the short-term value of feature delivery with the long-term ability to efficiently expand and maintain the product. In our experience, automating testing as much as possible and interleaving test and feature development are critical elements to succeed in this venture.

Regardless of industry, more and more companies are finding themselves in the software business as they seek competitive advantage by developing and delivering increasingly complex applications to their customers. Subject to intense time-to-market demands, these efforts are spawning new business requirements as companies strive to produce products that satisfy their customers' needs for flawless functionality. To deal with this pressure, organizations are looking for ways to increase the productivity of their developers and accelerate their testing process. These organizations must overcome the high risks and costs associated with the traditional software development lifecycle (SDLC).