Editing Software release life cycle (section)

== History ==
Usage of the "alpha/beta" test terminology originated at [[IBM]].{{cn|date=May 2024}} Similar terminologies for IBM's software development were used by people involved with IBM from at least the 1950s (and probably earlier). "A" test was the [[software verification|verification]] of a new product before the public announcement. The "B" test was the verification before releasing the product to be manufactured. The "C" test was the final test before the general availability of the product. As software became a significant part of IBM's offerings, the alpha test terminology was used to denote the pre-announcement test and the beta test was used to show product readiness for general availability. Martin Belsky, a manager on some of IBM's earlier software projects claimed to have invented the terminology. IBM dropped the alpha/beta terminology during the 1960s, but by then it had received fairly wide notice. The usage of "beta test" to refer to testing done by customers was not done in IBM. Rather, IBM used the term "field test".

Major public betas developed afterward, with early customers having purchased a "pioneer edition" of the WordVision word processor for the [[IBM PC]] for $49.95. In 1984, [[Stephen Manes]] wrote that "in a brilliant marketing coup, Bruce and James Program Publishers managed to get people to ''pay'' for the privilege of testing the product."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Taking A Gamble With Word Vision |author-last=Manes |author-first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Manes |magazine=[[PC Magazine]] - The Independent Guide To IBM Personal Computers |publisher=[[PC Communications Corp.]] |issn=0745-2500 |date=1984-04-03 |volume=3 |number=6 |pages=211–221 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-gI2W-3JwkC&pg=PA211 |access-date=2015-02-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317045015/https://books.google.com/books?id=e-gI2W-3JwkC&lpg=PA212&pg=PA211 |archive-date=2015-03-17}}</ref> In September 2000, a ''boxed version'' of [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[Mac OS X Public Beta]] operating system was released.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Apple Releases Mac OS X Public Beta |publisher=Apple Inc. |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2000/09/13Apple-Releases-Mac-OS-X-Public-Beta/ |access-date=2024-01-28 |date=13 September 2000}}</ref> Between September 2005 and May 2006, Microsoft released ''community technology preview''s (''CTP''s) for [[Windows Vista]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winxp/WinVistaCTPFS.mspx |title=Microsoft Windows Vista October Community Technology Preview Fact Sheet |date=October 2005 |access-date=2011-02-22 |publisher=Microsoft |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430145018/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/newsroom/winxp/WinVistaCTPFS.mspx |archive-date=2011-04-30 }}</ref> From 2009 to 2011, ''[[Minecraft]]'' was in public beta.

In February 2005, [[ZDNet]] published an article about the phenomenon of a beta version often staying for years and being used as if it were at the production level.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588-5571590.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050214062749/http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588-5571590.html|archive-date=2005-02-14|title=A long winding road out of beta |website= Tech News on ZDNet |first1= Paul |last1=Festa |date=2005-02-14|access-date=2019-04-28}}</ref> It noted that [[Gmail]] and [[Google News]], for example, had been in beta for a long time although widely used; Google News left beta in January 2006, followed by Google Apps (now named [[Google Workspace]]), including Gmail, in July 2009.<ref name="Google Blog-2009">{{cite web|url=http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/google-apps-is-out-of-beta-yes-really.html |title=Google Apps is out of beta (yes, really) |work=Google Blog |date=7 July 2009 |access-date=2011-01-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121002635/http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/google-apps-is-out-of-beta-yes-really.html |archive-date=21 January 2011 }}</ref> Since the introduction of [[Windows 8]], [[Microsoft]] has called pre-release software a ''preview'' rather than ''beta''. All pre-release builds released through the [[Windows Insider Program]] launched in 2014 are termed "Insider Preview builds". "Beta" may also indicate something more like a [[#Release candidate|release candidate]], or as a form of time-limited demo, or marketing technique.<ref>{{cite web|url-status=live |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-inconvenient-truths-behind-betas/a-2010051712402686048 |title=The inconvenient truths behind betas |first1=David |last1=Houghton |date=May 17, 2010 |website=GamesRadar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430173029/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-inconvenient-truths-behind-betas/a-2010051712402686048 |archive-date=2011-04-30 }}</ref>