| The China's Computer Market 2008 Forecast | | | | "for example, when we test software for banking |
| Report has been released recently. It showed | | | | applications, we have to first understand the |
| that in the first three quarters of 2007, the | | | | specific users in the bank. Some operators only |
| software industry in China has registered sales | | | | use keyboards in the office, but if we don't know |
| revenue of $50 billion, up 23.6% on pcp, | | | | about this and design it as a mouse-friendly |
| accounting for 10.95% of the entire electronics | | | | control, banks will not buy, it no matter how well |
| and information industry' sales revenue. As the | | | | the software works." Therefore it could be |
| software market matures, people have higher | | | | forecast that the status for software testers |
| and higher expectations over software features, | | | | who possess technical experience and customer |
| quality and reliability. In October 2005, Ministry of | | | | demand knowledge will further enhance. |
| Labour and Social Security formally listed | | | | A sellers' market |
| computer software product tester (software test | | | | "The software testing industry is at a growth |
| engineer) as one of the new professions. In only | | | | stage," said Prof Zheng Renjie, a software testing |
| two years' time, software testing has become a | | | | expert. The current hot market for software |
| powerful dark horse in the software industry. | | | | testers is mainly due to the rapid development in |
| Steadily rising status | | | | software industry itself, "companies are |
| "In the early 1990s, software industry was still at | | | | demanding better quality software, which has in |
| an infant stage in China. Most software projects | | | | turn stimulated demand for software testers. But |
| were very simple, the whole code writing and | | | | talent supply and talent training are lagging behind |
| development process could be handled by one | | | | the dramatic changes in market demand, hence a |
| person. As industry competition intensified, | | | | telent shortage." |
| software companies were gradually evolving from | | | | At present, software testing talent shortfall in |
| one-man-band small shops to software | | | | China has exceeded 200,000, and it is rising to the |
| engineering co-operations. Although division of | | | | 300,000 threshold. According to statistics, total |
| labour could improve software development | | | | software tester supply from nationwide IT |
| efficiency and functional varieties, it also lead to | | | | training institutions is less than 10,000 per year, |
| increasing number of bugs between modules and | | | | thus it can be foreseen that the testing talent |
| deteriorating qualities," said Mr Wang Yazhi from | | | | shortage could last another 5-10 years. At the |
| CONCEPT Information Technology Ltd, a major | | | | same time, talent shortage has given leverage to |
| software development company in Beijing. Quality | | | | tester remunerations. According to a |
| impairment would not only damage a software | | | | remuneration report from in China, starting salary |
| firm's competitiveness, it could also lead to | | | | for software testing engineers ranges from $400 |
| massive economic loss for software users or | | | | - 650 per month, and it could increase to $1200 - |
| even personal injuries, such as medical accidents. | | | | 1650 for engineers with 2 to 3 years' experience, |
| As China's software enterprises continue to | | | | higher than the remuneration for many |
| prosper, the importance of software testing has | | | | developers with similar service years. As the |
| also been increasingly appreciated by software | | | | talent supply shortage continues into 2008, |
| companies. Many large and medium software | | | | software testers' remuneration is looking for |
| companies have begun recruiting professional staff | | | | more gains. |
| to take care of software testing. Ms Ran | | | | Education and training |
| Chunjuan, a former testing manager in Wuhan | | | | The shortage in software testers in China has not |
| Superidea Technology Ltd, said that "in Superidea, | | | | only lifted the remuneration levels, not also |
| the ratio between software testers and | | | | created a boom for educational and training |
| developers is 1:4. Although this is still well behind | | | | institutions. Even two years ago, several |
| the international best practice of 1:1, it is still a | | | | prominent IT professional training institutions had |
| great improvement from 1:8 a few years ago." | | | | realised the importance of software testing |
| Industry experience appreciated | | | | positions, and organized a few domestic and |
| In addition to lifting the number of software | | | | international software testing experts to |
| testing staff, many companies are demanding | | | | co-develop training courses, which have |
| higher staff quality as well, especially in areas of | | | | successfully cultivated lots of software testing |
| professional testing experience and thinking ability. | | | | talents in the past two years. Currently in China, |
| "A tester without professional training can still | | | | apart from overseas recruitment and company |
| work out 3-5 testing methods, but not necessarily | | | | internal training, external professional training is |
| detect bugs. Even if bugs are discovered, he | | | | also an important channel for producing software |
| might not be able to express the problems in | | | | testers, amounted to 12% of total talent supply. |
| proper languages, which could increase developers' | | | | As companies are paying more attention to labour |
| workload. Those well-trained testers can work out | | | | costs control, more professional talents are |
| 10-20 testing methods, such as boundary value | | | | expected to come from external training |
| analysis, equivalence classes and cause-effect | | | | institutions. |
| diagrams, to maximally discover any bugs. | | | | While professional IT training is booming, tertiary |
| Professional testers can also articulate testing | | | | education institutions also began to test the water. |
| documents in standardised languages, thus | | | | In August 2007, the first software testing |
| improving the recovery rates of software | | | | education forum was held in Shanghai by various |
| problems," said Mr Liu Fei, a former testing | | | | government bureaus and universities, explicitly |
| manager in Qualcomm. Many companies in China | | | | marking "software testing" a core area in |
| have now established independent testing | | | | software engineering courses in China. But Dr |
| departments, working along with R&D | | | | Chen Honggang, who had been involved in |
| departments. | | | | development and testing of projects such as |
| As companies' software testing knowledge | | | | Windows95, Internet Explorer 4.0/5.0 and SQL |
| deepens, work scope for testing staff is | | | | Server 2000, commented that although |
| expanding from system testing phase to unit | | | | universities can ease some pressures on software |
| testing and integration testing phases. "This | | | | testing talent educations, based on overseas |
| requires software testers to have in-depth | | | | experience, professional training will still be the |
| knowledge about the businesses a product is | | | | main channel for supplying software testing |
| involved in," said a testing manager from Founder | | | | talents. |
| Group, one of China's largest software companies, | | | | |