QWE2002 Paper 11T Mr. Jim Bampos (Lionbridge, USA) & Mr. Eric Patel (Nokia, USA) Virtual Test Management: Rapid Testing Over Multiple Time Zone

Key Points

• The challenges of managing multiple test sites.
• 5 steps to successful virtual test management.
• Mistakes to avoid/lessons learned.

Presentation Abstract

With the ever-changing challenges of testing, here comes the latest one: managing multiple test locations. More and more companies are spreading testing organizations throughout the country and the world. Based on real-life experiences of the speakers, learn the mistakes to avoid and lessons learned in managing multiple sites. Discover how the Virtual Test Manager can manage a dispersed test organization without having to always be physically present.

About the Author

Jim Bampos is responsible for the worldwide testing efforts of Lionbridge and VeriTest. He has 16 years of experience in software development, quality assurance, and management.

Prior to joining Lionbridge, Jim was Vice-President of Software Quality Assurance at Vanteon and was responsible for all Quality Assurance (QA) and software testing activities. He managed the QA Outsourcing line of business, in addition to managing QA and testing activities in support of the company's development business. Jim grew Vanteon’s QA Outsourcing by a factor of ten in three years. Before joining Vanteon, Jim was part of Turning Point Software (now the Vanteon Boston Development Center) and implemented best-of-breed SQA/Test methodologies, standards, and practices that made the organization a quality leader in the QA & Testing industries.

Jim is involved with the Los Altos Workshop for Software Testing (LAWST) and the Software Testing Managers’ Roundtable (STMR), both periodic gatherings of senior practitioners in the QA industry. He is published in Software Testing and Quality Engineering magazine and speaks at several QA/Test conferences. He earned a BS in Computer Science from Fitchburg State College.

Eric Patel is QA & Test Manager at Nokia where he leads a team that tests digital platforms and communications solutions for the home environment. He is co-founder of the Nokia Quality Forum (NQF) Boston and creator of the RapidSQA methodology for Web testing. His experience in software testing, test management, and software quality assurance spans 10 years.

Prior to joining Nokia, Eric built the QA infrastructure for WebCT. As Director of Quality Assurance, he created testing organizations in Peabody, MA and Vancouver, BC for their e-learning software product and www.webct.com. He established test labs on two coasts with both manual and automated testing capabilities. Before joining WebCT, Eric built the testing organization for Cerulean Technology. He managed the QA effort for a client/server wireless application and its transition from a DOS to a Windows product.

In addition to STAR East, NESQAF, SWaNH SWEQSIG, PSQT/PSTT East, BOSCON and the Software Quality Group of New England, Eric will be presenting at Quality Week and Testing Computer Software this year. He is a member of ASQ, IIST, and NESQAF. ASQ has certified Eric as a Quality Manager (CQM) and Software Quality Engineer (CSQE), and he teaches the CSQE Test Prep Class for the ASQ Boston Section. Eric is also a reviewer for Software Quality Professional and The Journal of Software Testing Professionals. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont.