AQuA is new name for UTI
01/08/2012
August 1, 2012, London: The Unified Testing Initiative today announced that it is changing its name to App Quality Alliance (AQuA), as part of a deeper commitment to quality in app development.
AQuA, whose members include AT&T, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Oracle, Orange, Samsung and Sony Mobile, is an independent, non-profit organisation funded by its members with the sole purpose of helping developers improve the quality of mobile applications. The change of name from Unified Testing Initiative to App Quality Alliance was made to reinforce the importance of quality as a whole and not just the importance of testing to ensure the quality level has been achieved. AQuA’s main quality initiatives include the following:
New version of Best Practice Guidelines
AQuA’s latest Best Practice Guidelines, launching later this month, are for developers across all platforms. The guidelines combine straightforward common sense with advice gained from years of experience of testing applications. User outcomes aren’t supposed to be rigid but the over-arching goal of using the guidelines is to put quality at the heart of the development process, from the outset, reducing the requirement for testing
Promoting quality apps
A key part of AQuA’s mission is to accredit and promote apps that are deserving of extra recognition for their high quality. AQuA has been working on a beta for a Quality App Directory, in close association with developers from across the industry. This directory, which launches in September, will be the first of its kind and an important resource for app retailers, carriers, app stores and other organizations that are seeking the best quality apps.
Testing Criteria
One of the Unified Testing Initiative’s main objectives was to improve app testing and this mission continues with its Java Verified programme accrediting more apps in 2012 than ever before. AQuA has updated its Java ME Testing Criteria and its Android Testing Criteria to help developers prepare for inclusion of their app information in the Quality App Directory.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Martin Wrigley, Chairman of AQuA and Director of Developer Services at Orange said “As an organisation that is run by the industry, for the industry, we consult closely with the developer community in everything we do. We see a continuing desire across the industry to put quality first and by renaming ourselves App Quality Alliance we are reiterating that this is the heart of our mission,. As the app development market becomes more competitive, good quality assurance is what sets successful developers apart from the crowd. End users now include more than the tech-savvy and this places a requirement on all of us in the mobile industry to make sure our apps are seamless and intuitive to use. Quality is what achieves this and our goal at AQuA is to stand behind developers, supporting and promoting their work on quality”.
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About AQuA
App Quality Alliance (AQuA) is an independent worldwide mobile industry body comprising device manufacturers, carriers and others within the mobile application market place.
AQuA is non-profit, funded by the members for the benefit of the industry and member contributions are its only source of revenue. The members are AT&T, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Oracle, Orange, Samsung and Sony Mobile.
AQuA’s overarching mission is to support and promote the development of quality apps. The organization aims to reduce fragmentation across the industry (and within platforms), encourage wide-spread adoption of sound working practices to increase the quality of mobile applications and to accredit and promote quality apps to its members and to all app retailers, carriers, app stores and other organizations that are seeking the best quality apps.
Press contact
Carolyn Guss, Kindling Communications
Carolyn@kindlingcomms.com
+1 818 878 2066
Twitter @AppQuality
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