Mobile cloud services: MobileCloud by Perfecto Mobile
Perfecto Mobile is an Israeli based company, one of the biggest ones in the domain of Cloud Services. Main company`s product is SaaS MobileCloud platform, which includes MobileCloud-Interactive, MobileCloud-Automation and MobileCloud-Monitoring services. This tool package is a universal system for application testing and monitoring.
Applying to MobileCloud platform you can perform real-time testing of smartphones, phones and tablets. Company`s park of devices includes more than 500 devices, operating on Android, Blackberry, iOS, Symbian and WinPhone platforms. Almost all devices have real a connection to US mobile operators (at&t, T-Mobile, Verizon), UK operators(O2,Orange, Vodafone). Devices are also connected to Indian, Canadian, Israeli and other mobile companies.
Making this research I singled out such advantages of Mobile Cloud platform as:
- Full control over the device (real and virtual keyboard, touch and slide functions, accelerometer, turn in/off functions)
- Possibility to make calls, send text messages, access to the internet (devices work have access to price plans)
- Automized procedures of app installation, incoming calls, incoming text messages, file upload, information input from OS clipboard and laptop keyboard
- Recommendations about device utilization in different countries
- Simultaneous automation testing on several devices
- Device sharing
Nevertheless, real-time operation with MobileCloud services is far from being ideal. First of all, you have only 60 minutes to use trial-version (this is the time-limit for non-paid account), and while this 60 minutes you face certain challenges like:
- Long response time
- Indistinct (often unreadable) image
- Constant device interaction failures (cannot process data/touch function challenges)
- Hot-functions do not operate upon most of the devices ( incoming call and text messages simulation)
- Constant device malfunctioning (screen turns off, restarts, loses data, reports about mistakes)
Working in trial session you have only 5 devices in your disposal: 2 iOS (iPhone 4S and iPad 4), 2 Android devices (Motorola Droid Razr 4.0.4 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4.2.2), and a Blackberry 9860, though even in trial version you often face malfunctions.
In the whole, I can say that, even though MobileCloud platform offers multiple tools and possibilities for mobile testing, lots of malfunctions make the process of testing quite challenging. Mobile Cloud platform is really expensive in comparison with other services. That is why before choosing between real devices and MobileCloud you have to weight all the pros and cons – calculate expenditures, critical issues and lack of devices.
In my next blog post we`ll talk about DeviceAnywhere project, article comes out on next Tuesday.
