As smartphones and tablets enter the market at breakneck speed, organizations need to develop sophisticated testing capabilities and provide cross-platform support in order to deliver proper application quality and business assurance.

1. Integrated Mobility QA: A Strategic
Business Enabler for Enhancing End-user
Experience Across Digital Channels
As smartphones and tablets enter the market at breakneck speed,
organizations need to develop sophisticated testing capabilities and
provide cross-platform support in order to deliver proper application
quality and business assurance.
Executive Summary
Enterprise mobility is transforming the end-user
experience, creating new value for business-
es that get it right. Already, forward-thinking
companies are leveraging enterprise mobility for
competitive differentiation.
The mobile apps landscape has grown exponen-
tially, fueled by the emergence of new platforms,
diverse technologies and devices, all requiring
seamless integration for widespread adoption.
Ensuring impeccable quality and usability of apps
is the key for organizations that seek to stay
ahead. This is easier said than done, as a fully-
formed and functional enterprise mobility quality
assurance (QA) strategy continues to elude most
IT organizations.
Premium-priced solutions address only the
system testing phase of the mobile QA lifecycle;
however, they often do not account for strategy
definition, nor do they cover mobile nonfunctional
testing requirements, which is extremely critical
for ensuring a satisfactory user experience. Most
often standalone, these solutions do not integrate
with standard test management platforms.
Therefore, an integrated, cost-effective, compre-
hensive mobile QA solution that addresses the
end-to-end testing lifecycle will go a long way
toward ensuring not only the quality but also the
usability of enterprise apps, internally and with
customers and partners.
Mobility QA: Driving Business Agility
Mobility is a lever that needs to be aligned with
business objectives. Activating that lever is
becoming increasingly challenging as the mobile
ecosystem expands from mere telephonic devices
to smartphones, smart devices, tablets and
phablets (devices that include characteristics of
both conventional laptops and tablets). To get
the most bang for the buck, mobile apps must be
compatible and run seamlessly across all of these
platforms.
As new platforms are introduced into the enter-
prise mobility landscape, new support require-
ments will emerge, with refined features that
need to be accounted for. Conventional testing
methodologies, which typically begin later in an
app’s lifecycle, are rendered inadequate because
enterprise requirements for leveraging new
• Cognizant 20-20 Insights
cognizant 20-20 insights | january 2014

2. 2
business capabilities pivot around accelerated
time to market. As such, three interrelated chal-
lenges have emerged:
• Changing QA mobility priorities. Mobile QA
requires a unique combination of business
knowledge, design thinking and service
maturity. It transcends functional validation
and encompasses interoperability, perfor-
mance and security issues, shifting the focus
from traditional testing
to quality engineering.
Moreover, as BYOD (bring
your own device) becomes
commonplace within many
organizations, a compre-
hensive QA strategy that
encompasses multiple
platforms (including iOS
and Android), devices,
networks and geographies
is paramount.
App session times on
tablets run twice as long
as app sessions on smart-
phones, but apps are more frequently used on
smartphones, according to recent research by
Adobe.1
In order to provide the right end-user
experience, organizations must adopt different
QA strategies to validate functionalities based
on user behavior.
Convergence of QA is inevitable as enter-
prises struggle to manage multiple devel-
opment frameworks, mobility priorities and
key variables, such as relevant technologies,
networks and geographies (see Figure 1).
• Lack of comprehensive lifecycle coverage.
Unlike with desktops, screen dimension and
resolution of mobile devices are not stan-
dardized, which increases the complexity of
rendering mobile test automation. Organiza-
tions are also limited by the availability of
automated mobile app test tools. Many are
point solutions that, in our view, do not offer
an end-to-end view of the mobile QA lifecycle.
Open source Web tools are cost-effective, but
they often do not support native applications,
and they fail to execute scripts on a device cloud.
Moreover, many of these tools lack support for
automation across browsers and platforms.
• High cost of setting up the mobile QA infra-
structure. Organizations struggle to strike a
balance between setup costs for a dedicated
and exhaustive mobile testing infrastructure
and the limited coverage that minimal devices
might otherwise lead to. While on-demand
cloud options are available, device clouds more
often than not continue to be an expensive
proposition for most organizations.
cognizant 20-20 insights
Parameters for Effective Analysis and Outcome
Web
Native
Re
sponsiveWeb
HTML5
Hybrid
Enterprise-Dependent
Frameworks
Web
Key priorities
Parameters
Framework
Convergence
of
Mobility QA
Managingmulti-geographyroll-outs
Managing diverse platforms/devices
Managingdiversenetworks
Increasedsecurity
Increased business
Increaseduser
agility
experience
Reduced costs
Managing multiple
relevant technologies
Figure 1
Organizations struggle
to strike a balance
between setup costs
for a dedicated and
exhaustive mobile
testing infrastructure
and the limited
coverage that minimal
devices might
otherwise lead to.

3. 3cognizant 20-20 insights
Smartly Coupled Solutions
Because of the need for a mobile QA ecosystem, it
is imperative that solutions address the aforemen-
tioned challenges and enable end-to-end integra-
tion, while also providing flexibility. The term we
use for such solutions is “smartly coupled.”
Getting Started with Smart-Coupling Mobile QA
Organizations need access to deep experi-
ence and industry knowledge to gain a quick
assessment of their mobile QA capabilities and
long-term needs. Leading QA organizations
leverage this experience to build assessment
engines that benchmark application performance
against industry standards and recommend the
optimal device suite, automation, infrastructure
and tools to manage their testing needs.
Key considerations that organizations use to
define their mobile QA strategy include:
• Mobile application development methodolo-
gies (Agile, waterfall).
• Mobile application technologies (native, hybrid
and Web).
• Multiple mobile platforms (iOS, Android,
Windows, BlackBerry).
• Infrastructure combinations (BYOD, in-house,
on-demand, emulators).
• Execution/deployment methodologies
(B2B or B2C).
• Mobile application complexities.
• User geographies.
• Niche applications (voice-based, Wifi,
Bluetooth, etc.)
• Consumer applications (telematics,
smartphone banking, etc.)
• Mobility across enterprise apps.
Automation Across Browsers,
Platforms and Tools
Automation flexibility is an integral part of the
mobile quality ecosystem because it enables com-
Quick Take
When a leading bank wanted to implement an
enterprise-wide mobile rollout of its internal
apps, it required testing of its mobile apps across
various platforms and devices, including testing
between desktop and mobile apps. The client
rejected existing solutions based on a popular
platform because they were expensive, required
a dedicated device cloud infrastructure and had
limited functionality, including limited access to
the latest devices.
In contrast, our proposed solution promised to
significantly reduce costs by introducing QA early
in the development process. We also offered to
conduct a far-ranging strategic assessment to
enable a smooth transition to our proprietary
cloud device testing infrastructure, provisioned
through our integrated platform.
The result: App release cycle time was fast-
tracked by 55%, and QA infrastructure costs were
reduced by over 80%.
Banking on a Holistic Approach to Enterprise Mobile QA

4. cognizant 20-20 insights 4
prehensive testing across platforms. The wide
variety of platforms and browsers in use today
necessitates cross-platform validation. However,
the ongoing lack of automation tools to support
cross-browser/platform testing can incur high
costs for organizations that must procure indi-
vidual tool licenses that only partially meet their
QA needs.
Mobile QA Infrastructure
A limitation of devices provisioned on the cloud is
the small number of provider-recommended auto-
mation tools. A platform that can integrate a flex-
ible automation tool suite
and device cloud will allow
organizations to handle
their QA needs with great-
er agility and reduced cost.
When you consider many
organizations’ encourage-
ment of BYOD through vir-
tualization techniques, it
becomes clear that exten-
sive coverage of testing
apps will become a matter
of choice.
An ideal mobile QA solution aims to reduce costs
by leveraging avenues to test mobile devices
on-demand, and easily push devices on and off
the device cloud. This not only accelerates QA
activities, but it also reduces the maintenance
expense of the devices and infrastructure needed
to support these vital activities.
Benefits of an Integrated Solution
Despite the fact that enterprise mobility QA is
seen as a strategic enabler, it is still a work in
progress for many companies. For instance, of
all companies that test their Web sites, only 23%
test their mobile Web site, and only 4% test their
mobile apps.2
An integrated solution that provides
comprehensive QA coverage will support organi-
zations wishing to adopt an enterprise strategy
for their mobile QA needs and provide users with
an enhanced mobile experience.
As such, a high-quality mobile lifecycle manage-
ment solution will encompass:
• A scalable mobile QA infrastructure.
• Multi-mobile platform testing.
• End-to-end tool set across the testing lifecycle.
• App validation for key nonfunctional
parameters.
• Geographic scalability for testing.
• Device provisioning on the cloud, on-demand.
Looking Forward
The path to mobile consolidation is evolving.
However, organizations that embrace leading QA
solutions can gain the flexibility needed to provide
an integrated mobile test solution that delivers
cross-platform support and flexibility for the
future. Organizations should choose an approach
that enables continuous enhancements to enter-
prise mobility as devices, platforms and service
providers evolve toward equipping users with a
highly functional and consistent experience.
Footnotes
1
Amy Gesenhues, “Report: App Session Times Run Longer on Tablets, but App Usage Is More Frequent on
Smartphones,” Marketing Land, Nov. 7, 2013, http://marketingland.com/report-3-64362.
2
“What Users Want from Mobile,” Equation Research on behalf of Compuware, July 2011, http://e-commer-
cefacts.com/research/2011/07/what-usrs-want-from-mobil/19986_WhatMobileUsersWant_Wp.pdf.
A platform that can
integrate a flexible
automation tool suite
and device cloud will
allow organizations to
handle their QA needs
with greater agility
and reduced cost.

5. About Cognizant
Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) is a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process out-
sourcing services, dedicated to helping the world’s leading companies build stronger businesses. Headquartered in
Teaneck, New Jersey (U.S.), Cognizant combines a passion for client satisfaction, technology innovation, deep industry
and business process expertise, and a global, collaborative workforce that embodies the future of work. With over 50
delivery centers worldwide and approximately 166,400 employees as of September 30, 2013, Cognizant is a member of
the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500, the Forbes Global 2000, and the Fortune 500 and is ranked among the top performing
and fastest growing companies in the world. Visit us online at www.cognizant.com or follow us on Twitter: Cognizant.
World Headquarters
500 Frank W. Burr Blvd.
Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA
Phone: +1 201 801 0233
Fax: +1 201 801 0243
Toll Free: +1 888 937 3277
Email: inquiry@cognizant.com
European Headquarters
1 Kingdom Street
Paddington Central
London W2 6BD
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7297 7600
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7121 0102
Email: infouk@cognizant.com
India Operations Headquarters
#5/535, Old Mahabalipuram Road
Okkiyam Pettai, Thoraipakkam
Chennai, 600 096 India
Phone: +91 (0) 44 4209 6000
Fax: +91 (0) 44 4209 6060
Email: inquiryindia@cognizant.com
© Copyright 2014, Cognizant. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission from Cognizant. The information contained herein is
subject to change without notice. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
About the Authors
Ramakrishnan Venkatasubramanian is Cognizant’s Offshore Head of its Global Mobile QA center of
excellence. He has 14 years of experience in the information technology industry, spanning software
development, product engineering, testing, test automation, mobility and technology consulting. Ram
manages multiple complex mobility engagements, focusing on consulting, delivery and business devel-
opment initiatives. He holds a post-graduate degree in computer technologies and can be reached at
Ramakrishnan.Venkatasubramanian@cognizant.com.
Rangarajan Rajamani is a Senior Manager of Product Management within Cognizant’s Quality Engi-
neering & Assurance Technology center of excellence. He has over 11 years of experience, performing
roles such as consulting, business development and program management across multiple industry
verticals. Ranga holds a post-graduate degree in sciences and management. He can be reached at
Rangarajan.Rajamani@cognizant.com.
Vinoth Kumar John Peter is a Senior Manager, New Market Specialist within Cognizant’s Quality Engineer-
ing and Assurance Group. He has over 10 years of experience in the financial, healthcare, supply chain
and automobile sectors, with experience spanning Six Sigma, data mining and analysis, channel intelli-
gence and IT quality assurance. Vinoth holds a graduate degree in international business from University
of South Carolina. He can be reached at Vinothkumar.Johnpeter@cognizant.com.
The authors would like to thank Pradeep Kumar Govindasamy for his contributions to this white paper.