Microsoft Build wasn't all about Microsoft this year; well, that's not true, obviously it was, but a few "Microsoft approved" partners got a look in, too. Amongst the sanctified this year was Perfecto Mobile, with its public preview of a MobileCloud for Visual Studio Plugin for testing mobile apps on real devices inside Visual Studio.
Perfecto argues that by extending Visual Studio with its MobileCloud product, developers can execute manual (and automated) tests on "real mobile devices" directly from Visual Studio.
Software application developers are able to use C# and manage device automation control with Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS).
The company sells its wares based upon a promise of this being a "significant jump start" for .NET web teams transitioning to mobile.
"By utilizing the MobileCloud Platform, Visual Studio [developers] can use existing expertise and write automation tests in C# that are executable across any mobile operating system (Android, iOS, Windows Phone) or app style (web, native, hybrid), all with a single test script. Users have instant and always-available access to globally distributed real devices to support testing throughout the code-build-test cycle," said Eran Yaniv, CEO, Perfecto Mobile.
Perfecto's software provides always-available devices-as-a-service and mobile-ready automation directly from within Visual Studio. Combined, these two capabilities deliver cross-platform mobile app testing that is fully managed by TFS.
Microsoft is apparently happy to back Perfecto's claims to fame and says that Perfecto's Mobile App Quality Platform is a "valuable complement" to Microsoft's suite of mobile development, testing, and ALM tools.
Mitra Azizirad of Microsoft has said that, "By providing extensive mobile test coverage with its globally distributed, mobile device cloud, MobileCloud for Visual Studio empowers development and test teams to deliver better mobile apps faster and meet customers' quality expectations."
MobileCloud for the Visual Studio solution allows accelerated testing so teams can execute unattended automated testing on remote iOS, Android, and Windows Phone apps without requiring USB connections or driver downloads. System-level control of devices under test enables full interoperability testing (e.g. call, text, change settings).
