To insure that our software products work as well as possible in the real world with all its different combinations of people and computer environments, this revolutionary product needs to be tested in many different situations before we release it to the masses. New builds fixing bugs or adding new functionality are being released frequently and each one needs to be re-tested. We are continually in need of more ambitious computer-literate people that already understand the concepts of interest-based or mutual gains negotiation and would be interested in helping us test Smartsettle in their own particular environment. Preference is given to those individuals where potential exists to test Smartsettle in real-world applications.

The benefits of testing our software products may include:

• privilege of being among the pioneers in the new field of internet-based mediation and eNegotiation,
• pleasure of finding unsuspecting bugs,
• making our (i.e., your!) software better as a result of detecting those bugs,
• positively affecting our future direction of development through your suggestions,
• opportunity to inspect and use a revolutionary product before anyone else, and
• special privileges for those that stick with us to the end of the program.

Beta testers are expected to be motivated self-starters that are able to train themselves with the existing documentation (at least to Level II). Pre-Release builds of the software products may come with revised editions of the User Guide.

A tester must be willing and able to develop test plans, set up a testing environment, run tests, report bugs and procure updated beta versions as they are released. We expect our testers to report any problems that they find and we will do our best to fix them. Pre-release builds of the software products usually have a relatively short life; however online updating is literally as easy as a few clicks.

Completely at our discretion, we will work most closely with those people who have adequate technical expertise to help us make good progress. We are not guaranteeing any specified level of support to our testers. Involvement of our staff in training beta testers will be done at our discretion. If any testers desire additional support, we are willing to negotiate that additional support on a case by case basis.

Please understand that the software that you will be receiving may look fantastic to you but we think that it still has many rough edges. Our first priority is the underlying functionality. However, before long we will begin to devote more energy to making the software even faster and easier to use.

In summary, testing the software products involves:

• completing at least Smartsettle Training Level II,
• qualifying for a position among Smartsettle's top performers,
• successful application and product testing agreement,
• spending time testing the product,
• downloading updates from our website,
• tracking down and reporting bugs/incompatibilities in the product,
• giving suggestions for the user interface and features of the product,
• keeping up with the email involving the beta test, and
• eventually giving your “seal of approval” on the product for shipping.

The minimum testing requirements are the same as those required for regular training. If your application has already been approved, click here to get started.

Contacting the Beta Testing Program

If you think you can help us out, we encourage you to apply. Please note that, while we will endeavor to be fair to all, we reserve the right to change any plans implied here without notice or obligation to any participants in our pre-release testing program.

If you have any questions that are not answered on this site, please feel free to contact us.