Siemens PLM Software has a goal to ensure that each release of NX enables you to be more successful than ever. We've worked hard to incorporate new capabilities, product enhancements, and easier ways of working. But the true test of how well we've done is your opinion of the product. How does it perform? How does it look? Is it ready for the rigors of your production environment?
This is why the Beta Testing Program is so important. The Beta Testing Program allows you and many other real-world users to evaluate the software early in the development cycle. You will be the first to see new functionality and product improvements, and be the first to give us feedback on the software. Not only does this help us to ensure the software is first-rate, but it also gives you the opportunity to make sure that it meets the needs of your company.
There are different ways in which you can participate in the Beta Testing Program:
This is a convenient form of testing that can be done from the comfort of your own facility. We provide pre-release software, and you can then evaluate the software at your own pace.
This is performed at our principal development facilities and is the most effective way of evaluating the software. We provide workstations and pre-release software for you to test. You will have the opportunity to meet with the heads of development and learn first-hand the changes and improvements we have made to the software. You will also have the opportunity to meet your peers from many other companies. This is an excellent forum for hearing different viewpoints and exchanging insights on how to best use the software.
Usability testing is performed at our Cypress, California facility and studies how different types of users interact with the software. You are assigned tasks to perform with NX that touch new areas of the system. We videotape and observe how you go about doing these tasks. This process helps us to identify usability issues in everyday use of the system. These findings, as well as interview comments from you, will be used to make project adjustments, if necessary. This is a specialized form of Beta Testing that is necessarily limited to a small number of participants. Participants will spend Monday performing Usability Testing and then are welcome to join on-site Beta Testing for the remainder of the week.
If you are interested in participating in our Usability Testing, please contact Laurie McAllister
Migration testing is another form of testing that can be done from your own facility. Migration testing provides you with the capability to make sure that your existing NX data will migrate to the latest release of NX smoothly. This is not a migration test from another CAD system like I-DEAS. Along with the pre-released NX software, we provide an automated application that checks part features, drawings, and/or smart model data to make sure that they are compatible with the latest release. The application can be used to test a large collection of data without much intervention. Problem parts can be provided to Siemens PLM Software for evaluation.
If you are interested in participating in our Migration Testing for feature modeling, please contact Gayle Mendoza.
If you are interested in participating in our Migration Testing for drawings or smart models, please contact Greg Vaccaro.
The Beta Testing Program is both an exciting opportunity and an important responsibility. Beta Testers have the greatest opportunity to influence the final implementation of the software and the best chance of identifying and resolving critical issues before the software is released. Your active participation and substantive feedback are essential to our goal of delivering an exceptional product.
We would like to accept every customer who applies to the Beta Testing Program, but unfortunately this is not feasible. Consequently, customers are selected based upon background information obtained from enrollment data as well as their interest, willingness, and ability to provide timely information. Specific information about you and your testing environment may be required.
Beta Testers provide product feedback throughout the development process until the final release. All software problems, issues, enhancement requests, and suggestions are reported to the product teams and escalated to the appropriate development teams. We expect you to perform a minimum of 10 hours of testing in your normal production environment to expose defects.
Regular contact with the beta coordinator via incident reports, weekly summaries, and questionnaires is expected. We also expect you to inform us of any wish list items you may have. Occasionally, we may ask you to interview with the industry press.
Once accepted, you will be sent a packet of general information along with a Beta License Agreement. You will be asked to print out, sign, and return this agreement to begin the program. Each Beta Site must remain in compliance with the nondisclosure provisions stated in the agreement until the software is formally released.
Application to the Beta Testing Program is easy. Simply fill out the online enrollment form for the program of your choice:
Accepted applicants must sign a Beta Site License Agreement to participate in the Program. This agreement authorizes beta sites to use pre-release software for test purposes and includes terms of nondisclosure. Participation in the program is confidential, as is all information that passes between Siemens PLM Software and customer beta sites. The agreement binds Siemens PLM Software to the same level of confidentiality as beta sites to protect proprietary data that may need to be submitted in connection with problem reports.
We encourage you to seriously consider joining the Beta Testing Program. It provides measurable value to everyone involved and all testing is performed under terms of non-disclosure. We look forward to your participation.
Thank you,
Release Management
Send comments or suggestions to: Beta Administrator
