Reflective Solutions is an organisation dedicated to providing tools and services that allow out clients to manage the performance of their applications throughout the project lifecycle.
Our sole aim is to ensure our clients always deliver performant and scalable systems using the smallest hardware and least software licenses possible; hence delivering the greatest return on investment for their business.
History
Reflective Solutions started to specialise in the performance domain after the 9/11 tragedy and the dotcom bust meant that pure Java development houses were endangered. We had just completed high profile performance tuning engagements for Barclays Bank and BP and hence had great references in this area.
Before performance tuning a system, you need to place it under realistic and correct load - therefore we needed an enterprise level performance testing tool.
Although not sitting on a cash mountain, we did have enough reserves to acquire a fledgling tool and form Reflective Solutions Bulgaria to make it enterprise level and valid for testing mission critical systems.
This tool was called LoadTester and made its debut in 2002. LoadTester was initially a tad ropey, the consultants would take the code base on clients' sites and often extend/bug fix during engagements and it was not until 2003 that the tool settled and we only started issuing our consultants with executables.
Once this point was reached, we were so confident in the tool's capabilities that we offered our WebLoadTest™ service with a guarantee to correctly, fully and realistically test any web application in just TWO WEEKS.
At this time we were doing most of the performance testing for a number of big organisations. One day one of them called us in and stated they wanted to purchase LoadTester, we pushed back saying it was not a product, no GUI, no manuals, no support but they agreed to bank roll us to productise the tool ... StressTester™ was born.
Still we kept it to ourselves - it gave us a lead over other testing consultancies and also allowed us to win performance tuning business when test results were poor.
However, we started getting enquiries again and decided to invest in the tool, properly productise it and open it to other consultancies. 8 of the largest 10 testing consultancies in the UK now use, or are trialling with a view to use, StressTester™.
StressTester™ 3.2 was released in February 2006 and was so efficient and productive that our WebLoadTest™ service is now offered with a ONE WEEK guarantee - same terms.
Testing consultancies have fed back that StressTester™ gives exactly the same results as Mercury LoadRunner, the results are easier to get in the format the client wants due to our customisable graphing and data table facility, and it takes about a third of the time to performance test with StressTester™ than with LoadRunner - that last stat is from a LoadRunner expert who only played with StressTester™ for one week before recommending to his board that they adopt it (which they have subsequently done so).
