Atmel Corporation has enhanced the quality of its software testing worldwide and established best practices for automation for all of its 1500 IT developers.
Software tests can now be implemented across all countries and in days instead of months. Eficode has matured the test method Continuous Delivery and lifted it from the Norwegian division of Atmel to the entire corporate group.
When you turn on your radio, TV, mobile phone or electric toothbrush there is a high probability that it is equipped with intelligent microtechnology from the worldwide Atmel Corporation. The group develops and manufactures microcontrollers for both consumer and industrial solutions, all with the aim of creating solutions that make everyday life and work easier and smarter.
The Atmel Corporation has a large IT development spread over many countries, which develops software for the development environment that customers buy with microcontrollers. Customers use this environment to develop their own software solutions into their products, so that their electric toothbrush can vibrate and their mobile phone touchscreens work.
The tools group in Atmel produces and integrates new software drivers and plug-ins every single day. However, testing them too a long time - except in Norway, where the IT organisation had implemented the open source tool 'Jenkins CI' with the purpose of automating software testing.
“We have to stay one step ahead in order to maintain the competitiveness throughout the organization. In Norway, the results with automation were compelling and therefore the corporate management asked us to roll out these methods to other locations. IT Operations expanded the infrastructure in order to be able to support more volume and we were recommended to contact Eficode [formerly Praqma] as the specialist who could handle the job”, says Per Arnold Blåsmo, Senior Software Craftsman, Atmel Norway.
With Eficode as close adviser since 2012, Atmel Corporation has, with Continuous Delivery, automated all test processes worldwide and is able to deliver new software versions all the way to the customers. At the same time, the operation of all IT systems was centralized.
“First of all, we’ve increased quality of the software we provide significantly. We have established best practices and can both develop faster and release software more frequently. Where before it took months to release, it now takes only a few days in the whole group. In addition, we are now able to test large installations across the different countries”, says Per Arnold Blåsmo, Senior Software Craftsman, Atmel Norway.
The cooperation with Eficode proved very important for Atmel Corporation.
“We couldn’t find a local consulting firm that could do the job.But the company that leads the Jenkins CI development recommended Eficode [formerly Praqma] as the most competent knowledge center in our part of the world. We have been very pleased with the collaboration from the start. They are extremely knowledgeable and quick to understand our challenges. Therefore, we have a good and close relationship with Eficode, which we hope will continue for many years to come”, says Per Arnold Blåsmo, Senior Software Craftsman, Atmel Norway.