(By Info-Tech Analyst William Terrill - Printed with permission from Processor magazine www.processor.com).

When an IT department deploys new software without adequate (or any) testing, it tends to get what it deserves—lots of headaches, late nights in the data center, and extra work. What the business and users receive from this oversight can be disastrous. IT staff need to understand that any new software or upgrade to a critical system must be tested in real-world environments.

IT staff have a lot on their plates. One critical responsibility is the deployment of new mission-critical applications or updates to those systems. When staff shortchanges testing of new code, it also shortchanges clients and, in the process, causes more trouble and headaches. Bypassing or limiting testing of new releases, whether that code is from reputable software vendors or developed in-house, is not a good idea.