App Quality Alliance

by Martin Wrigley, AQuA March 2013

- The App Quality Alliance (AQuA) is a worldwide mobile industry not-for-profit association, run and funded by AT&T, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Oracle, Orange, Samsung and Sony Mobile – helping developers further-improve the quality of mobile apps and gain recognition as a result.

- AQuA provides best practice guidelines, app testing criteria, and the Quality App Directory where developers can register their app and gain the App Quality Badge

App Quality Alliance (AQuA)

A guide to developing high quality mobile applications

Currently covers 3 platforms. Will be extended to cover more.

Continually revised, based on community feedback, and forms the basis of the Testing Criteria.

The AQuA Best Practice document

New version was released February 2013 incorporating With input from AT&T, GSMA

and aligned with Google’s recommendations

AquA is working with industry bodies and experts to improve and align best practice and other guidelines

These are platform-specific sets of tests for mobile apps, created and continually revised by the members. There are tests for apps that require ‘complex’ permissions, and tests for apps that don’t : ‘simple apps’. The tests include Application Launch, Functionality, Operation, User Interface, Security, Network Usage, Localization and more. Java and Android versions are published, other platform-specific derivatives are being developed.

The Testing Criteria

AQuA launched the Quality App Directory at Apps World in London in October 2012, and is today launching new additions based on developer and industry feedback.

- The only online directory containing details of mobile apps that have met a specific quality level. - All apps need to have passed the tests outlined in the relevant TC (Testing Criteria). - AQuA members have access to all details of apps and developers. - AQuA runs audit tests on apps when appropriate. If an app fails, the app is marked as ‘failed’. - NEW: Ability to gain a Quality Badge for your app - NEW: Online test criteria tool

The Quality App Directory

An AQuA member has independently tested the app and is satisfied that it has passed the tests in the AQuA Testing Criteria

The developer has tested the app against the Criteria and has stated that it has passed the relevant tests.

The developer has used an AQuA-approved Test House to test the app against the Criteria and it has passed the relevant tests.

Updated Test Criteria Updated Best Practice Quality Badge for Apps Test Criteria Online Tool

Launched Feb 2013

AQuA continues to run JavaVerified, the industry-recognised Java ME testing and signing programme www.javaverified.com

When a Java ME app

passes all of the tests in the Java ME Testing Criteria it will be signed and have access to all restricted APIs on devices that support the Java Verified Signature.

Java Verified