To better understand what transitioning to the beta phase means, we will explain the software lifecycle and the different stages of development of a tool like AIOP.
The software lifecycle
Prototype
The prototype (or PoC for Proof of Concept) is the first stage of software development. It's the initial version of the tool, which validates the feasibility of the project and tests initial ideas. The prototype is often very basic and does not contain all the features of the final tool.
AIOP has already gone through this stage; we spent several years contemplating the problem to arrive at a prototype that allowed us to validate the feasibility of the project. It was following the realization of the absence of a project management tool adapted to agile project management that we decided to create AIOP.
Alpha
The alpha is the first functional version of the tool. It's often used internally to test the tool and evolve it. The alpha version is often unstable and contains numerous bugs. It's not usable in production and is not accessible to the public.
The Alpha version of AIOP was used internally to validate an initial version.
Beta (ongoing)
The beta version is a functional version of the tool, accessible to the public. It's usable in production but still contains bugs and missing features. The beta version is often used to gather user feedback and improve the tool.
AIOP is currently in the beta development phase. This means that the tool is undergoing active development, with new features being added regularly. It's usable as is, but we do not guarantee 100% functionality for all use cases. We encourage users to test AIOP and provide us with their feedback, suggestions, and ideas to improve the tool. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us enhance AIOP and make it more powerful and useful for the community.
Release Candidate
The Release Candidate (RC) version is a stable version of the tool, ready for release. It contains all the features of the final tool and no longer contains bugs. The RC version is often used for final testing before the tool is released.
AIOP will enter the Release Candidate phase once we have fixed the bugs and issues reported by users and have added the...
Stable Version
The stable version is the final version of the tool, released and accessible to the public. It's usable in production and no longer contains bugs. The stable version is often used to gather user feedback and improve the tool.
AIOP will transition to the stable version once we have fixed the bugs and issues reported by users and have added the missing features.