It’s evident by this point that cloud computing technologies such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) have changed the way applications are developed.  The interesting thing that we are finding with our customer engagements is that the rapid and iterative nature of designing and developing apps on Force.com has created an entirely new set of challenges with how the apps are tested prior to deployment to production environments.  The ability to demonstrate application features and functionality to project stakeholders in near-real time is more of a double-edged sword than most people realize; on the one hand, being able to show progress and continuously incorporate feedback has fundamentally changed the concept of application development and delivery.  On the other hand, if expectations are not managed properly, the ability to visually represent system designs and demonstrate prototypes in such a rapid timeframe could potentially trivialize the importance of testing, code refactoring and optimization, and change management.

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