Cybersecurity

Two tech firms have joined forces to fast-track the training of quality engineers in software testing to reduce the risk of a system meltdown.

With peak periods around Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas fast approaching it’s feared the UK’s eCommerce infrastructure will be at breaking point.

The problem is being made worse by a shortage of trained quality engineers in software testing to check, test and maintain software and eCommerce.

Now two British tech firms – Credersi and ROQ, which are at the forefront of tech training and software testing – are addressing the shortage by training work-ready quality engineers through a fast-track course.

Chorley-based ROQ are pioneers in delivering strategic software testing solutions and providing trained quality engineers. The firm provides services to the likes of legal giants Linklaters, as well as Deloitte, Boots, Specsavers, Unilever and the NHS.

Stephen Johnson, co-founder and director, ROQ

Stephen Johnson, founder and CEO of ROQ Software Testing Solutions, warned: “The Facebook/Instagram/WhatsApp outage this week has perfectly demonstrated the vulnerability of systems if they are not regularly tested. No company is too big to fall and the impact on any business can be devastating both financially and in losing customer trust and goodwill.

“This is also a time when retailers face huge spikes and surges in their e-commerce sites with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and increased online shopping with Christmas demand.

“Software testing provides an essential role to the core functionality of any retail and eCommerce business. Unless you rigorously test systems, you cannot find the weaknesses or vulnerabilities until it’s too late. Often for an eCommerce retailer, this comes at great financial cost and has a major impact on customers.

“It is absolutely vital that any high street or online retailer with an eCommerce presence ensures that their software testing is put front and centre of their operations.

“There simply aren’t enough quality engineers to keep up with the demand by British companies and very soon this will reach breaking point. Together with Credersi, we are working to address that issue and will create a ‘best-in-class’ curriculum in software testing, taking candidates on a 14-week course to final certification. Most importantly, the Credersi ROQ curriculum will ensure all academy consultants  are ‘work-ready’ to fill those key roles immediately.”

Andy Lord, CEO of Manchester-headquartered tech training firm Credersi, said: “Not having enough skilled quality engineers will mean that operating software systems will become vulnerable to bugs, glitches and critical failure. This then has a domino effect and impacts on service delivery across the economy, as well as delays in online retailing and delivery.”

The newly created training course will enable students to become a fully qualified quality engineer in software testing.