03 4 / 2008
Consolidated Test Tools for everyone [business/QA/tools]
Last week, Oracle acquired Empirix, the company known for it’s signature e-Test suite. It’s starting to become a consolidated playing field out there for tools. Here is the current line-up of companies that have gobbled up all of our QA weapons of choice, in case you were wondering what happen to some of them.
Where is Segue’s Silk?
Well, Segue is no more. It was ten years ago that I remember meeting with Segue sales people in 1998, and being presented SilkTest. Borland, Inc. purchase Segue and all of it’s suite of tools. Here are the links to the Borland line-up:
Mercury or HP?
It’s all HP. Mercury Interactive (they dropped “Interactive” sometime around 2000), was consumed by my workstation’s manufacturer back in 2006. And in 3006, Test Director was laid to rest, and QualityCenter rose in it’s place. And I’m not sure when it happened, but WinRunner was always the “darling” of the automated test tools, until it’s step-sister, QuickTest (which was called Astra QuickTest back in 2000) drop kicked it’s way into the front of line. Here’s a bit of nostalgia on QuickTest. Can you believe that price? That’s how much my lunch would cost in downtown San Francisco. If you were to see the invoice for QuickTest now, you could guarantee that the mandatory maintenance cost alone is enough to feed everyone in San Francisco. If not everyone, it could feed at least two-thirds.
How can I procure Empirix’s e-Test suite?
You can go directly to Empirix. Oracle made the announcement of their takeover on March 27, 2008. They haven’t completed the full assimilation, which will be reflected in their web site, as e-Test becomes branded with the Oracle logo, and the word “Empirix” becomes a fleeting thought. But until then, visit Empirix before it becomes a wasteland.
