Remember the old saying, “Everyone is talking about the weather, but nobody is doing anything about it?” That’s pretty much the case when it comes to using the cloud as part of a software QA process.

In research conducted by SD Times in July, we asked, “At what stage is your company, or companies that you consult, using the cloud for software testing?” Very few respondents indicated that they use the cloud in this way:

At what stage is your company, or companies that you consult, using the cloud for software testing?
We are using the cloud for software testing on a routine basis: 7.9%
We are experimenting with using the cloud for software testing: 17.3%
We are studying the technology but have not started yet: 26.7%
No plans to use the cloud for software testing: 39.6%
Don’t know: 8.4%

We also learned that when it comes to software quality assurance, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, most of the time. Or to put it more clearly, the activity usually but not always is conducted by the organization’s employees:

Does your company outsource any of its software quality assurance or testing?
Yes, all of it: 4.4%
Yes, some of it: 26.6%
No, none of it: 65.0%
Don’t know: 3.9%

It was clear that there’s no one favorite model about where testing lives. Is it part of the development group? Is it separate? Is it sometimes separate and sometimes integrated? The answers were surprisingly evenly split.

Does your organization have separate development and test teams?
All test and development teams are integrated: 30.2%
All development teams and test/QA teams are separate: 32.7%
Some development and test/QA teams are separate, some are integrated: 34.6%
Don’t know: 2.4%

It was also clear that enterprise developers can’t simply throw the code over the metaphorical wall once it was completed and let other IT staff take complete responsibility for quality assurance, even after deployment.

We asked, “Who is responsible for internally developed application performance testing and monitoring in your company?” with separate answers for before and after deployment. The answers showed that developers still have responsibility after deployment, and sysadmins were in the loop during the development process.

Who is responsible for internally developed application performance testing and monitoring in your company?
Software/Application Developers: before deployment 60.8%, after deployment 47.7%
Software/Application Development Management: before deployment 52.8%, after deployment 53.8%
Testers: before deployment 50.3%, after deployment 41.5%
Testing Management: before deployment 48.7%, after deployment 38.5%
IT Management (development) (VP or above): before deployment 36.7%, after deployment 34.6%
Systems Administrators: before deployment 24.1%, after deployment 45.4%
Networking Personnel: before deployment 21.5%, after deployment 31.5%

When it comes to software quality assurance, one thing is for certain: We are all in it together.

Alan Zeichick is editorial director of SD Times. Read his blog at ztrek.blogspot.com.