Farncombe has acquired the MiriATE consumer device test automation assets following the recent liquidation of Mirifice. Farncombe will re-brand and re-launch the platform in early 2013.
Farncombe has been using MiriATE for many years and sees demand for a number of value-added services around the technology, including training and scripting support. It has already developed a new real-time web-based reporting tool and is in the process of testing a number of new features.
Farncombe acquired Mirifice’s Professional Services business in 2010 and had been working closely with Mirifice as a partner of choice offering solutions based on MiriATE. Farncombe will continue to support Mirifice’s existing clients, which include the UK’s Digital TV Group (DTG), with a new support package for customers.
Gary Marshall, managing partner for Engineering Services at Farncombe, said that the company is currently reviewing its automation solution in close collaboration with MiriATE clients. “We possess a considerable amount of in-house expertise, having provided professional services to the MiriATE client base for a number of years. Following a consultation period, we will announce a detailed roadmap for test automation in 2013,” he said. “We are confident that this will enable the TV industry to take a significant step forward with the introduction of large-scale, cost-effective test automation deployments.”
“By integrating these new assets with our current portfolio of testing and integration services, we can help both existing and new clients maximise the benefits from test automation,” added Marshall. “We will also use these assets to empower customers to cost-effectively automate testing and integrate testing with their defect management, continuous integration and management reporting systems.”
As well as automating manual testing, automation enables realistic stability endurance and stress testing, which are impractical to execute manually. The testing is performed as a human would, but runs the tests faster, more reliably, consistently and without getting bored or tired. Features such as video analysis, motion detection, region comparison, and optical character recognition (OCR) replace the need for manual recognition and verification. The system allows testing of all types of media CPE, including set-top boxes.
