LOB Application Compatibility: Using Microsoft IT's LOB Application Compatibility Testing Processes

Overview

Application compatibility is a concern any time an organization deploys new software to an existing computer environment. Whether the organization is deploying a new operating system or a new Web browser, it must ensure that the applications that users need to perform their daily tasks continue to function properly. Microsoft IT shares this challenge by being responsible for deploying and maintaining more than 1,500 internal LOB applications in an environment of mixed and changing operating systems, productivity applications, Web browsers, and development tools. With such a large portfolio of applications and a rapidly changing environment, Microsoft IT must identify commonalities between the applications in the portfolio as a means of grouping applications for testing.