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Microsoft-centric software and services provider Intergen has announced a partnership with testing consultancy, Qual IT Solutions, which the companies claim will make it easier for clients to embed testing best practices into their projects.

"We've always offered testing services to our clients, but our partnership with a specialised testing consultancy demonstrates our ruthless approach to quality assurance," says Intergen marketing director Wayne Forgesson.

"Software is becoming increasingly complex, and testing can play a role in ensuring all aspects of a solution meet and exceed the needs of organisations."

Forgesson says that testing is often added on to the end of a project as an afterthought, or cut when the project runs over time or budget, but it is an important part of development that shouldn't be overlooked.

"Many organisations treat testing as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff," says Qual IT business development manager Steve Willsher. "The later you find a defect, the harder and more costly it is to fix. It is far better to include testers right from the start of the project briefing."

Willsher says many companies that develop software also offer in-house testing, but there are advantages to using an independent tester.

"Testing your own software is like marking your own homework," he says. "Developers and testers often have a different mindset and a different set of skills: developers build things and testers like trying to find where they are broken. That's why having a specialist testing team can be so valuable to a customer."