This blog is based on a presentation I did at mabl Experience 2024, with the full presentation linked below.
The year 2006 marked a turning point in technology with the birth of Amazon Web Services (AWS), revolutionizing how we approach storage and application development. Similarly, 2017 saw the rise of another game-changer: mabl, a low-code AI platform that's redefining quality assurance and engineering. Together, these have changed how we approach quality at Fox Corporation, with our diverse portfolio of video streaming services like Tubi, Fox Sports, and Fox Weather, to ensure a seamless viewing experience across a multitude of devices and platforms.
From the challenges that came with the territory as novices, through our journey of growth with mabl, to finally becoming quality ninjas, we are going to look at the way AI and low-code has been successful in the world of video engineering.
Traditional testing methods struggled to keep pace with the dynamic nature of video streaming, especially during high-traffic events like the Super Bowl. We faced numerous challenges, from bottlenecks caused by manual testing and the complexity of supporting a vast range of devices, to the intricacies of our backend systems with ad delivery and monitoring. Managing disparate open-source tools also led to compatibility issues and a heavy maintenance burden.
Our journey with mabl began in mid-2022. We were drawn to its AI-powered capabilities and comprehensive approach to testing. Starting with browser testing, we initially saw limitations with API and mobile testing, which have since become an integral part of the product. mabl quickly proved its worth, minimizing flaky tests and improving the reliability of our results. When they added the integration with Postman, it finally allowed us to leverage existing API documentation for automated testing, which then allowed us to orchestrate complex testing workflows involving both UI and API interactions.
With mabl, we significantly increased our test coverage, ensuring a higher quality user experience for our viewers. mabl's efficiency also allowed us to dramatically reduce our regression testing time, freeing up valuable resources. By catching defects early in the development cycle, mabl helped us minimize production issues and deliver a more stable streaming experience. Overall, we were able to:
mabl's GenAI assertions further amplified our testing efforts. We could now verify dynamic content with ease, since you no longer have to declare specific elements to test; it’s very abstract. And it works for any platform or device, making testing across platforms even more seamless. With these advanced capabilities, we’re now able to test in ways that have never been possible before.
Test dynamic content: Verify sporting events and other dynamic content with ease.
Validate image elements: Confirm the presence of specific elements, like hurricanes on a map, using image recognition.
Test across different languages: Ensure accurate translations and localization across various languages.
Verify closed captions: Validate the presence and accuracy of closed captions across different devices and languages.
In essence, mabl has democratized quality assurance at Fox Corporation, empowering everyone, from developers to marketers, to participate in testing. Its low-code approach has significantly reduced test creation time and maintenance effort, while its AI-powered features enable testing of complex scenarios that were previously difficult or impossible to automate. mabl has truly enabled us to embrace the philosophy that "the best way to predict the future is to test it," and confidently deliver high-quality video streaming experiences to our viewers.
If you’d like to see my full presentation from mabl Experience 2024, head on over to the Fox Network customer story where I talk more about our journey with mabl.