The Benefits of Beta Testing

As the market continues to grow and change, printers continue to look for new ways to place themselves above the competition. These changes could happen in a number of ways from introducing products and services to adding things that no one has ever seen before. The latter is the crux of the beta testing movement. Although beta testing is not a new concept, it is on the rise as being one way to boosts one’s appearance and offerings to potential and existing clients.

Simply defined, beta testing, also known as early marketing, is when a vendor places a newly developed product or piece of equipment into a commercial atmosphere for testing purposes. The tests will help the company to iron out any bugs or issues the product might have, determine what works well, and what could be improved. The shop uses the equipment in every day executions as well as new and innovative ways to determine the quality and value of the product in the commercial workplace. The vendor takes and processes the information at the end of the beta testing period. After any changes are made, the product can be re-tested or put out on the market.

“There is added value not just to the clients but to the people who work here as well.” That statement came from Regan Mahoney, general manager of Splash!, a San Francisco-based creative agency that works as a frequent beta tester for HP products. The most recent item tested at Splash was the HP Designjet L65500 printer, a large-format printer.

Getting Involved
Getting involved in the HP beta testing program was an easy transition for Splash to make. Splash and HP have worked together for many years. Splash was a frequent buyer of HP products; in turn, HP was a client of Splash’s when it came to creating unique marketing materials.

Mahoney states that beta testing has been a great opportunity. “We like to test new stuff and we like to solve problems,” Mahoney said. “It’s been great for us.”

According to Dennis Amorosano, Canon U.S.A. senior director solutions marketing and business support, “Generally, customers who participate in beta testing activities come from Canon’s existing customer base, either through our direct sales organization or existing Canon Authorized Dealers.”

Arnon Cohen of HP’s Indigo division said, “Being part of a beta program is
an opportunity to influence and shape the products that are in the front of the digital printing revolution and allows a print service provider to use the latest technology and get a competitive advantage.”

Kevin Horey, vice president, Production Solutions Product Marketing, Xerox Corp., said, “Xerox considers a number of factors when selecting an Early Customer Acceptance Testing (ECAT) customer, including whether the customer uses Xerox equipment or not, geography, type of business (quick printer, commercial printer, in-plant), monthly projected volume, etc. “

Who is best suited to becoming a beta tester? Mahoney feels that the ideal tester is one that has a variety of needs. “If a company is strictly a print service provider it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense,” said Mahoney. As a creative agency, Splash has more opportunities to use the product in unique marketing efforts. Rather than using the equipment to run a thousand of something, Splash focuses on using the equipment to create that one of a kind product. “We are always looking out for new materials,” said Mahoney. “We want to give our clients the newest and the best. If we stay ahead of what’s new we can give our clients what they need to best promote their products and services.”

Benefits and Successes
There are obvious benefits to participating in a beta program, but what about the cost? For the most part, there is little cost to the tester.