Windows Compatibility Advantage

Announcing Windows Compatibility Advantage
The WCA program is designed to help ISVs provide their customers a high quality software experience. It's a coordinated effort between Microsoft and participating ISVs to help increase security patch quality, shorten deployment time, and reduce IT costs.

Why join the WCA program?
WCA can help you provide a consistent and reliable software experience for your customers. By working with Microsoft to test your titles against Windows OS service packs and security updates, you may add value to your products and differentiate your offering. Participating may help reduce the possibility of costly support incidents resulting from compatibility issues with service packs or security updates.

Who should join the WCA program?
The WCA program is designed for ISVs who take pride in their quality assurance offering. ISVs who have functional test automation ready to provide to Microsoft may see the greatest value. Other ISVs providing applications and test guidance may benefit from the opportunity to influence Microsoft’s compatibility testing process. As automation efforts mature, additional value may be gained.

Signup Complete and return the licensing agreements to WCA. This insures that the testing materials provided are properly licensed for testing purposes.

Deliver Titles & Testing Materials to WCA Send your titles, test plans, and functional test automation from any of the supported automation platforms to WCA.

Acceptance, Verification, and Testing The WCA team may inventory, verify, prioritize, and test these titles against pre-release critical security updates and services packs for supported operating systems.

Review Results, Make Improvements, Deliver Updated Materials Review results, submit changes for any necessary improvements, and deliver new and updated content as it becomes available.