Applause, the global leader in managed software testing services and digital quality, today announced the continued evolution of its fully managed testing services to meet the demands of an AI-driven software landscape. The company combines feedback from the world’s largest testing community with AI and automation to help enterprises validate digital experiences in real-world conditions — delivering the speed, scale and insight that traditional QA methods alone can’t achieve.
“Leading brands come to us because we’ve always helped them test what’s next — from early mobile and digital platforms to today’s AI-driven applications,” said Chris Malone, Chief Executive Officer, Applause. “Generative and agentic AI are the latest shift — and one of the most complex. While these technologies are changing how software is built, they also introduce new risks that traditional testing approaches can’t fully address. Our model validates how applications perform in real-world conditions with the speed and scale of AI — so teams can move faster with confidence and deliver high-quality experiences that retain customers and drive growth.”
To support this next phase of innovation in AI-driven testing, Applause has appointed Aatish Salvi as Chief Technology Officer. A seasoned technology leader and artificial intelligence expert, Salvi brings deep experience building and scaling AI- and data-driven systems across high-growth technology organizations.
“With AI-driven software development accelerating, organizations need to stay ahead of an increasingly complex testing landscape,” Malone continued. “As we expand our capabilities and coverage, having the right technical leadership is critical. Aatish brings the experience and perspective to help us advance our strategy and deliver even greater value to our enterprise clients.”
As CTO, Salvi leads Applause’s global product and technology organizations and is responsible for the vision and execution of the company’s technical roadmap. His focus includes advancing AI-driven testing capabilities that enhance real-world validation and expand testing coverage across markets, devices and user conditions. With more than two decades of experience, Salvi has held senior leadership roles at Hasbro, Teikametric, Nanigans, LoopIt and TripAdvisor’s Smarter Travel Media. He holds a Sc.B. with Honors in Computer Science from Brown University.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Applause at a time when software testing is more critical to our industry than ever before,” said Aatish Salvi, Chief Technology Officer, Applause. “We’re experiencing unprecedented technological transformation, and for our clients, the stakes are incredibly high. If product releases fail, customers and revenue are on the line. I’m excited to further advance our model — combining AI, automation and real-world human insight — and expand how we apply AI to help enterprises deliver applications that are not only high-performing, but safe, reliable and ready for real-world use.”
To support this, Applause provides responsible AI quality services that help enterprises test and validate their own AI systems. These services include model evaluation, domain expert validation and red team testing to ensure outputs are accurate, reliable and safe for real-world use.
Applause’s leadership in AI-driven quality is further reflected in its newly released annual State of Digital Quality in Testing AI report in a separate announcement, and its recognition as a finalist in the 2026 AI Awards for “Best AI-Powered Quality Assurance.”