What type of testing involves software evaluation outside the development organization using clients?

Beta testing is conducted after alpha testing and involves evaluating the software by real users outside the development organization, typically clients or end-users. This phase is crucial because it allows people unfamiliar with the software to test it in real-world scenarios, providing valuable feedback on usability, functionality, and overall user experience.

During beta testing, users report bugs, suggest enhancements, and share their overall impressions, which can lead to improvements before the software is officially released. The feedback gathered from this group often influences final adjustments, ensuring that the software meets the needs and expectations of its intended audience.

The other testing types mentioned serve different purposes. Alpha testing is typically performed by internal teams before beta testing begins, user acceptance testing is conducted to validate the software against business requirements closer to the end of development, and regression testing ensures that new code changes do not negatively impact existing functionalities. Each of these testing phases plays an important role in the software development lifecycle but differs in its target audience and objectives.