Yoram Mizrachi, CTO and co-founder of Perfecto Mobile, sets out his predictions for the future.

2015 was the year when two strong disruptive technologies emerged – mobile payments and connected cars. Both made headlines in the last 12 months but their future will be decided in 2016 with software testing playing an essential, if not absolutely crucial role.

It felt like 2015 was the year mobile payments broke through with ApplePay and Samsung Pay both launching with much fanfare and excitement. But in my view it was only the year that digital payment technology was proven. Adoption numbers are just not there and my view is they won’t rise unless the mobile payment paradigm changes.

Taking mobile payments to the next level

So my prediction is that testing professionals will be helping brands take mobile payments to the next level through enabling two fundamental changes:

1. Mobile payment migrates into more apps. Your consumers are used to paying through your app with their credit card and services such as PayPal; by using the same mobile payment program (such as Apple Pay or Samsung Pay) in your app as you do at physical check out, you’ll allow them to become used to the new name and build trust. Getting this integration right technically may be relatively simple; the devil in the detail will lie in how the experience is a smooth and positive experience within the app. Get this wrong and your brand is damaged and trust harmed.
2. The biggest concern of consumers is security and testing professionals must be at the forefront of ensuring security is seen to be robust. Consumers can view a paying in-app with a third party as an additional – and unnecessary – set of eyes that gets to see their financial data. Emphasising and quality assuring the safety of your payment system will be paramount to success as will how the whole purchasing process is tested to be secure at every stage.

Connected car plans will accelerate

2016 will see automobile companies accelerate plans for connected car technology.  The driving force in Europe will be eCall which will be mandatory in all cars from 2018 and major manufacturers like PSA Peugeot Citroen have announced plans to start expanding connected car services in all models from 2017.

Drivers will increasingly rely on cars not for entertainment and on-the-road calls, but their quality of driving experience and safety. As a consequence, performance testing will enter a renaissance period in which the true value of a fully vetted software release will be showcased in everyday life, from suburban streets to motorways.

Because the software being used in newly released and upcoming automobiles will take over more and more driving functionality and safety, software failures will be absolutely unacceptable. Software testing will become a major selling point for new models, as drivers will be looking for the very safest software because they and their family’s lives will rely on its quality.

Performance testing takes centre stage

By highlighting the need for performance testing, this important aspect of development will be highlighted for other industries, and working with auto manufacturers will become the ultimate indicator of proven quality for performance testing tools. This is unsurprising as software continues to be an increasing part of every task we accomplish whether it’s the app you use to bank with or the digital firmware in your coffee maker, the quality of that software increasingly affects the quality of life of the user. As performance testing takes centre stage within the automobile industry, others will take note of the dramatic changes that a single bug can make to the perception of a brand, and will be compelled to draw comparisons to their own product.

Written by Yoram Mizrachi, CTO and co-founder of Perfecto Mobile, and edited for web by Cecilia Rehn.